Five things that will make 2017 BMC polls different

The elections to the country’s richest civic body was announced on Wednesday. Here’s what makes the fight for these polls different

The elections to the country’s richest civic body was announced on Wednesday. Here’s what makes the fight for these polls different

The elections to the country’s richest civic body was announced on Wednesday. (HT)

A triangular fight

Between Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena; Nationalist Congress Party and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are not likely to make a dent. In the last three elections, Mumbai saw a direct contest between the two alliances with Congress-NCP playing off against Sena-BJP.

Corruption in the civic body

It will dictate campaigns. The BJP, Sena’s partner in the BMC, has levelled this charge against its ally most vocally. In the run up to the polls, BJP has successfully instituted a probe into the road and desilting scams, eroding Sena’s credibility. For the first time, the saffron allies are also likely to contest the polls independently

The note ban

It is expected to hit candidates’ expenses and reduce the buying of votes owing to the cash crunch. The polls may also see newer, more innovative ways of campaigning; candidates may offer sops on credit or promise more than plain cash

New wards

The redrawing of the electoral boundaries in Mumbai has affected 90% of the 227 wards, with sitting corporators unlikely to get fielded from their old constituencies. This will bring more fresh faces into the fray and lead to a lot more party-hopping as political parties start finalising candidates

Campaigns will go online, parties will use social media to get the voters’ interest. All political parties have invested in special social media cells and have drawn up strategies and hired consultants to operate Twitter and Facebook accounts, release YouTube videos of campaign trails

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