Do you know your corporator, citizens ask ahead of Mumbai civic body polls

Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Elections (BMC) elections in 2022, a group of alert Mumbaikars going by the name ‘Jaago Mumbaikar’ have initiated a survey to know if you know about your municipal wards and corporators.

The survey will look at two aspects - if people are aware of their ward, their corporator, BMC’s responsibilities and what are the areas concerning them. Activists say that though BMC elections directly impact one’s quality of life, the awareness among voters is generally low, especially compared to Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

In 2017, the voter turnout for BMC elections at 55% was a record high for Mumbai since 1992. It was just 44% in the 2012 civic election as opposed to 54% in the 2014 Assembly elections and around 55% in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In 2007, only 46.05% voters participated in the civic polls. The city has 24 municipal wards and 227 electoral wards. The elections are expected to be held in the first half of 2022.

A member from Jaago Mumbaikar, who did not wish to be named said, “Once we have the survey results, we are planning to run a campaign to build awareness among Mumbaikars. We will also meet all political parties insisting on giving tickets to candidates with a clean record.”

Milind Mhaske, project coordinator, Praja Foundation, which has been releasing councillor reports and also training councillors in the city said, “Though the awareness level is increasing, around 30-40% of people in the city might still not know about their electoral wards or corporator, though they might know who their MP or MLA is. This (survey) exercise is important as it will create awareness among sections, which may otherwise not be interested in participating in municipal elections.”