Governance

Mumbai North East (Parliamentary Constituency no 28) comprises six assembly constituencies: Mulund, Vikhroli, Bhandup (W), Ghatkopar (W), Ghatkopar (E), Mankhurd – Shivaji Nagar. After the delimitation of 2008, the first MP from this constituency was Sanjay Dina Patil, who contested from an NCP ticket. The constituency shows a demographic variety both in terms of religion and standard of living. There is a sizeable population of the Muslim religious minority here. It has the M-East ward, one of the poorest in the city with lowest human development indicators. The ward saw an outbreak of mumps a while ago. Mumbai North East…

The Mumbai North constituency is located at the northern tip of Mumbai encompassing the coastlines of Gorai, Malad and tapers at the Dahisar toll naka leading into the forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).  It is well connected with the Western Express Highway and the Link Road, which run parallel. The metro 7 and 2A line networks connect various locations. However, the terminal point of Borivali railway station struggles to accommodate new stations as it has emerged as the central point connecting the expanding localities of Vasai-Virar belt.  The challenges of housing in the koliwadas of the fishing…

Mumbai South Central is a constituency that includes areas in Mumbai such as Chembur, Anushakti Nagar, Dharavi (SC), Sion Koliwada, Wadala, and Mahim assembly constituencies. This is a diverse constituency, with a high population density. Dharavi, one of Asia's largest informal settlements is home to an estimated one million people and is a known hub for recycling, leather, and pottery mirco-industries. Chembur, which used to be mostly industrial land with the presence of BARC and RCF, is rapidly transforming into a prime location for real-estate developers, building middle income and luxurious high rises in the area. Anushakti Nagar, a self-contained, planned…

Mumbai North Central (Parliamentary Constituency number 29) is a Lok Sabha constituency in the state of Maharashtra. It consists of six Vidhan Sabha segments: 167-Vile Parle, 168-Chandivali, 174-Kurla, 175-Kalina, 176-Bandra (east), 177- Bandra (west). Mumbai North Central constituency was formed before 1952. These six Vidhan Sabha constituencies came under Mumbai North Central after the delimitation of 2008. The first MP to be elected from Mumbai North Central after the delimitation was Priya Dutt of the Indian National Congress in 2009.  Poonam Mahajan of the Bharatiya Janata Party has been the MP for this constituency, winning two consecutive terms in 2014…

Out of three parliamentary constituencies in Thane District, Kalyan is a major constituency which comprises six legislative assemblies - Ambernath, Dombivli, Kalyan East, Kalyan Rural, Kalwa-Mumbra and Ulhasnagar. The constituency was created in 2009 after the recommendation of the Delimitation Commission of India. The qualified medical practitioner turned politician Dr Shrikanth Eknath Shinde is the current incumbent MP from the original Shiv Sena. The constituency is an urban area where parts of Ambernath, Dombivli, Kalyan East, Ulhasnagar, Kalwa Mumbra and Kalyan rural are urbanised. Dombivli is the new hub for industrial development as Sketchers developed Asia’s second largest national distribution…

Name: Rajan Vichare Constituency: Thane Rajan Baburao Vichare, 63, has been an intrinsic part of Thane becoming a political stronghold of the Shiv Sena. Vichare rose from the party ranks from being a local unit leader (shakha pramukh) of the Shiv Sena to corporator for four terms in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) between 1992 and 2014. He also served as the mayor of Thane from 2007 to 2010.  Subsequently, he represented Thane in the legislature and in Parliament. He has been a member of Parliament (MP) from Thane for two terms in 2014 and 2019 and is now fighting…

Voting in the largest democracy in the world holds great responsibility. The moment you press a button on the ballot, you become a part of those who choose to take the onus of moving their country forward. This election will be my first as a voter. In a democracy every citizen has a say in the governance of the nation. But 1.44 billion people cannot all be directly a part of the government. So we choose a few people, who will represent us and our interests— expecting them to meet the needs of the many. As a child, my knowledge about…

As election fever peaks in India, public attention is typically focussed on top leaders and the race for power in high profile urban constituencies. At Citizen Matters, our election coverage has been designed to cut through unnecessary noise and empower readers with whatever they need to make informed electoral decisions. To that end, we encourage reportage on real issues within constituencies and the roles and performance of elected representatives and candidates. Earlier this year, Oorvani Foundation had collaborated with Youth ki Awaaz to host a Civic Journalism Training Programme, where young aspiring citizen journalists attended discussions and workshops on governance,…

Varsha Gaikwad, a four-time MLA from the Dharavi assembly constituency, is entering national-level electoral politics as she contests the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Mumbai North Central constituency. She belongs to the Indian National Congress (INC) and has been given a ticket for this constituency from the INDIA bloc alliance. She belongs to an Ambedkarite Buddhist family. She says that her background in teaching has prepared her to address large audiences with ease. Her father Eknath Gaikwad was also a politician from the INC and was a two-time MP, once from the Mumbai North Central constituency and the second time…

With the Lok Sabha elections just around the corner, citizen groups of Mumbai North East Parliamentary constituency in Govandi have been organising awareness camps for voters. These efforts are for those in the area, who feel disconnected from voting, or feel that they do not know enough. They have been organised by groups, which have established themselves in the area through years of social service related activities, including Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum, Govandi New Sangam Welfare Society, Al-Khidmat vyapari Associations and many more. By conducting election awareness programs and voting camps, these organisations aim to increase voter turnout, empower citizens…