Mumbai, India’s financial capital, is bracing for a close fight between the ruling Mahayuti bloc and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) party. The Mumbai region has 36 assembly seats between the districts of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburbs.

Mumbai is a 100% urban region, home to the stock exchanges, headquarters of the largest banks and BFSI companies. In the case of Mahayuti, half of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s weak seats are in Mumbai, giving the BJP and Shiv Sena space to compete with the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

In the case of the MVA, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP had to cede ground to the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Mumbai Congress. In the 2024 elections, the BJP and the Congress will face each other directly for 7 seats in Mumbai, including Colaba and Bandra (West).

The assembly segment is a stronghold of the Shiv Sena (UBT) as well as the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, especially in areas like Dadar, Parel and parts of south and central Mumbai.

Of the three direct fights between the Shinde Sena and the Sena (UBT) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Uddhav Sena won two and lost the third by just 48 votes.

But can the BJP reverse this trend in the elections? For the BJP, however, the focus on infrastructure and progress will help it win in Mumbai. The saffron festival can also capitalize on large-scale urban development projects such as the coastal road project and the Mumbai Metro expansion.

The impact of the Ladki Bahin project, however, cannot be ruled out in the metropolis, as it is also home to one of the world’s largest urban slums, Dharavi. While both Shiv Senas appeal to the Marathi population, the BJP can do well to try to appease the non-Marathi population, including Gujaratis, North Indians and South Indians.

The BJP can also attract new and young voters through its massive investments in digital campaigns, job creation, technology initiatives and educational opportunities.

Even though Shiv Sena also hails from Hindutva, the BJP’s clear image at the national level could attract voters who see it as more stable and ideologically consistent.

Voting for the 288-seat assembly will be held in a single phase on November 20 and the results will be declared on November 23.