City: Mumbai

Mumbai’s coastline and green spaces are under threat from a series of infrastructure projects that could impact the marine ecology, flora, fauna and the last remaining green lungs of the polluted megapolis. Over the past five years, large-scale road, highway, metro and other infrastructure projects have been sanctioned to keep up with the growth of India’s booming financial capital. However, as these markers of development criss-cross through the city and nearby areas, the forests, coastline and ecology faces collateral damage. Currently in the spotlight is the Mumbai coastal road project, a 30-kilometre long road connecting the south and north of Mumbai,…

Mumbai North Central constituency is comprised of six assembly constituencies: Vile Parle, Chandivali, Kurla, Kalina, Vandre East, Vandre West. The constituency is very diverse, comprising areas such as Vile Parle and Bandra West where the upper class elite including several Bollywood actors reside, and on the other hand areas such as Kurla and Chandivali which have large slum communities. The constituency is knownfor its low voter turnout, having had a meagre 39.52 % voters turn up for the 2009 elections, and 48.66 % in the 2014 elections. The nominations of 20 candidates from different political parties or standing independently have…

Mumbai North Central constituency is comprised of six assembly constituencies: Vile Parle, Chandivali, Kurla, Kalina, Vandre East, Vandre West. The constituency is very diverse, comprising areas such as Vile Parle and Bandra West where the upper class elite including several Bollywood actors reside, and on the other hand areas such as Kurla and Chandivali which have large slum communities. The constituency is knownfor its low voter turnout, having had a meagre 39.52 % voters turn up for the 2009 elections, and 48.66 % in the 2014 elections. The nominations of 20 candidates from different political parties or standing independently have…

Poonam Mahajan, alias Poonam Vajendla Rao, is with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) from the Mumbai North Central constituency, and president of the BJP youth wing. She is the daughter of the late BJP politician Pramod Mahajan. A firebrand leader, she is credited with having infused a lot of energy into the youth wing of the ruling party. She has a very strong social media presence, and her social media campaign is reportedly being led by Madhukeshwar Desai, vice president of BJYM and great grandson of Morarji Desai. She contested elections for…

Poonam Mahajan, alias Poonam Vajendla Rao, is with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) from the Mumbai North Central constituency, and president of the BJP youth wing. She is the daughter of the late BJP politician Pramod Mahajan. A firebrand leader, she is credited with having infused a lot of energy into the youth wing of the ruling party. She has a very strong social media presence, and her social media campaign is reportedly being led by Madhukeshwar Desai, vice president of BJYM and great grandson of Morarji Desai. She contested elections for…

Mumbai North constituency is comprised of seven assembly constituencies: Borivali, Dhaisar, Magathane, Kandivali East, Charkop, and Malad West. The constituency has seen the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) come to power twice each in the last four terms. This is the constituency where Bollywood actor Govinda, representing the INC, defeated veteran politician and current governor of Uttar Pradesh Ram Naik. The INC is attempting the same formula for these elections by fielding Bollywood actress Urmila Mathondkar from the constituency. The Election Commission of India ( ECI ) has accepted nominations of 18 candidates; and rejected…

Mumbai North constituency is comprised of seven assembly constituencies: Borivali, Dhaisar, Magathane, Kandivali East, Charkop, and Malad West. The constituency has seen the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) come to power twice each in the last four terms. This is the constituency where Bollywood actor Govinda, representing the INC, defeated veteran politician and current governor of Uttar Pradesh Ram Naik. The INC is attempting the same formula for these elections by fielding Bollywood actress Urmila Mathondkar from the constituency. The Election Commission of India ( ECI ) has accepted nominations of 18 candidates; and rejected…

Gopal Chinnaya Shetty became an MP for the first time in 2014, when he won the Mumbai North constituency as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The constituency has previously seen the likes of veteran politicians such as Ram Naik (present governor of Uttar Pradesh ) and Bollywood actor Govinda being elected. Shetty's win in 2014 marked a win for a BJP candidate after two terms, the previous two elections having been won by Congress candidates. Shetty has served the party in various capacities. He is a three-time Corporator and a two-time MLA from Borivali constituency. In 2014,…

Gopal Chinnaya Shetty became an MP for the first time in 2014, when he won the Mumbai North constituency as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The constituency has previously seen the likes of veteran politicians such as Ram Naik (present governor of Uttar Pradesh ) and Bollywood actor Govinda being elected. Shetty's win in 2014 marked a win for a BJP candidate after two terms, the previous two elections having been won by Congress candidates. Shetty has served the party in various capacities. He is a three-time Corporator and a two-time MLA from Borivali constituency. In 2014,…

Manasi Dighe (name changed) rises before the sun, changes into a sari, plaits her thinning hair, and sets out. At the crack of dawn, her eyes begin searching the road, hoping to find plastic, metal or glass items which, at ₹20 a kilo, could earn her ₹100 in a day. Manasi covers 20 to 30 kilometres daily, when barely a kilometre from her Bhim Nagar hut in Mankhurd, an eastern suburb of Mumbai, is Asia’s largest dumping ground—the Deonar landfill. Mumbai’s 12.4 million citizens send 9000 metric tonnes of waste to this 134-hectare dumping ground every day. If one corner…