BMC Election 2017: For 37,000-Crore Corporation, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Asks Mumbai, Kya Mangta?

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sat at the head of a table with 20 people who made suggestions on what the BJP's manifesto for Mumbai's civic polls should include. In an hour-long interaction, streamed live on social media, they discussed Mumbai's roads, pollution, infrastructure and security. The Chief Minister also answered questions that he received on Twitter, which were flashed on multiple plasma screens.

The people helping the chief minister shape the BJP's agenda for Mumbai were not party leaders. They were chosen from across the state through random selection to participate in the discussion, part of a 10-day BJP exercise of getting feedback and ideas from citizens. The party says its website Ourcityouragenda.com is flooded with response on how Mumbai can be transformed.

The participants in the discussion with Mr Fadnavis included an IT professional, who said he was proud to represent Mumbai on the panel. A printing technologist from Pune's Pimpri Chinchwad said he discussed the "cleanliness of beaches and the roads of Mumbai and the chief minister assured us that the beaches will be cleaner and the roads better."

A final year student from Mumbai college praised the initiative as inclusive. "The BJP's Motto is Sabka Saath and Sabka Vikas. It's inclusive of everyone in this democracy. This is an efficient way of understand the problems of particular localities," he said.
 Political rivals are less enthused. Mumbai's Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam called it a gimmick. "The BJP ruled the BMC for 20 years and is now asking for suggestions on how to improve Mumbai," he asked.

The BJP is contesting the civic elections on its own for the first time; it had so far functioned as a junior partner of the Shiv Sena, which announced last month that the alliance is over.

The Shiv Sena, which rules the BMC, and the Congress, the second largest party in the current corporation, have already released their vision documents for the city.

Mr Fadnavis said that the Shiv Sena had rejected the BJP's "development first" agenda for Mumbai during their talks that failed and asserted that his party does not require the Sena's support to win the BMC election.

Elections to the country's richest municipal corporation - the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) has a budget of Rs 37,000 crores - will be held on February 21.