The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled a candidate list for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections that signals a significant strategic shift towards women's representation. An analysis of the party's roster of 137 candidates reveals a notable tilt, with 76 women and 61 men securing nominations. This marks one of the party's highest-ever representations of women in a civic contest in India's financial capital.
Surpassing the Mandated Quota
While the BMC electoral rules mandate a 50% reservation for women in the civic body, the BJP has chosen to go beyond this requirement. The party has strategically fielded female candidates even in open-category wards, which are traditionally high-stakes seats often fiercely contested by male party workers. These open seats do not fall under any reservation categories like OBC or SC/ST, which have their own designated quotas.
"The decision to field women candidates even from open-category wards was based on local sentiment and winnability," explained a senior BJP functionary. "If a woman candidate is best placed to win, the category of the seat does not matter." This pragmatic approach underscores the party's focus on securing victories while simultaneously promoting gender inclusivity in urban governance.
Prominent Faces in Open Wards
The list features several prominent women candidates contesting from these open wards, challenging traditional norms. In Ward number 57 in Goregaon, the BJP has renominated former corporator Srikala Pillai. Pillai, who took over the political legacy after her father and five-term Congress corporator Ramchandran Pillai's demise in 2010, won on a BJP ticket in 2017.
"I worked for this ward for the past 15 years, and while there was an interview, I was hopeful that the party would renominate me, looking at the work I did," Pillai stated, expressing confidence in her renomination based on her track record.
Other notable nominations include Marathi film actor Nisha Parulekar, fielded from the open Ward 55 in Kandivli. From Ward 98, which includes Khar, former deputy mayor and sitting BJP corporator Alka Kerkar has been nominated from an open seat. Similarly, from Ward 225, covering the Fort and Colaba areas, BJP's Harshita Narwekar will contest from an open seat.
Grassroots Connect and 'Friendly Fights'
For candidates like Harshita Narwekar, who is shifting from Ward 226 (which she won in 2017) to Ward 225 this election, the municipal battle is deeply personal. "Male or female, the candidate doesn't matter if you are able to connect with your core voter base and win the seat; the BJP as a party is more than supportive," Narwekar told TOI.
She highlighted the importance of grassroots connection, adding, "I am happy that my past work was acknowledged and I was renominated. While there is a friendly fight here, I am sure that I would win the seat." Interestingly, her former ward, 226, will now see her brother-in-law, Makrand Narwekar, contesting, while she faces a contest against Shiv Sena's Sujata Sanap in Ward 225.
This extensive list of women candidates, particularly in open wards, represents a calculated move by the BJP to tap into women's voting power and present a refreshed face in the crucial Mumbai civic polls. The outcome will be a key test of whether this strategy of transcending quota mandates to field women in traditionally male-dominated seats resonates with the city's electorate.
