Mumbai, Jan 13: As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections draw near, a wave of resentment is surging through the residential pockets of Wards 172, 177 and 178, including Sion (E), Matunga (E) and Wadala.

Citizens in these areas have accused their prospective representatives of “political cowardice”, alleging that candidates are deliberately avoiding direct engagement with educated voters.

The friction stems from a citizen-led initiative in which residents and members of the F-North Ward Citizens’ Federation, Petition Group Foundation and Hindu Colony Residents’ Association drafted a comprehensive questionnaire designed to test the candidates’ merit, technical knowledge of urban issues, and specific plans for the wards. According to the group, the response from all nine candidates has been a resounding silence.

Residents alleged that while candidates are visible during loud rallies and padyatras, they vanish the moment they are asked to sit down for a Q&A session.

They added that while a few candidates initially agreed to speak with citizens at a ‘Meet Your Candidate’ event, they discontinued conversations immediately after being asked to respond to the questionnaire.

According to the residents, the six-page-long questionnaire involved questions about the candidates’ achievements, important issues in the ward, their vision to solve these issues and other commitments. It also asked candidates to share details of their qualifications, criminal history, profession and income.

Residents alleged that candidates have been targeting “soft audiences” and areas where they can distribute doles, rather than facing “aware and educated” citizens who demand accountability. Residents of these wards said they want to shift the election narrative from party loyalty to individual merit.

Chetan Trivedi, a member of Petition Group, said, “The candidates did not confirm their time for the meeting when we requested them to fill the questionnaire because they wanted a scripted talk. Ultimately, none of them accepted the request for public interaction.”

Mumbai: Under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation General Elections 2025–26, show-cause notices have been issued to a total of 6,871 officers and employees for remaining absent from their assigned election duties. Out of these, 2,350 officers and employees subsequently participated in the election process. However, police action will be initiated against 4,521 officers and employees who failed to attend training sessions, the actual polling process, or election duty despite repeated notices since Monday, 12 January 2026.

Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi has adopted a strict stand and warned of severe action against those found negligent. In this connection, an important meeting was held on Saturday, 11 January 2026, at the Municipal Corporation Headquarters. The meeting was attended by Joint Commissioner (Taxation and Collection) Vishwas Shankarwar, Deputy Commissioner (General Administration) Kishor Gandhi, Assistant Commissioner (Taxation and Collection) Gajanan Bele, Zonal Deputy Commissioners, and Assistant Commissioners of all administrative departments.

As per the Mumbai Municipal Corporation General Elections 2025–26 schedule, polling will be held on Thursday, 15 January 2026. Attendance at training sessions was made mandatory for all officers and employees appointed for election duty. Those who remained absent from training were given a final opportunity on Saturday, 10 January 2026. Dr. Ashwini Joshi had earlier warned that strict disciplinary and legal action would be taken under the Representation of the People Act, 2020, against officers and employees who remained absent or showed negligence during the election process. Accordingly, action has now been initiated.

The ongoing action includes officers and employees of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation as well as those from nationalised banks, BEST, BSNL, HPCL, insurance companies, LIC, MHADA, MTNL, the Postal Department, Railways, RCF, NABARD, and other government, semi-government, and public sector undertakings.

Dr. Ashwini Joshi stated that elections are a constitutional and legal responsibility, and negligence in this regard is considered a serious offence. As per the directive, police notices will be served at the offices of the concerned 4,521 employees starting Monday, 12 January 2026.

For the Mumbai Municipal Corporation General Elections 2025–26, the total number of voters is approximately 1 crore 3 lakh 44 thousand 315 (10,344,315). Conducting an election of this magnitude requires a large workforce. Polling will take place on 15 January 2026, while vote counting is scheduled for 16 January 2026. The administration is currently facing a significant shortage of staff, making it necessary to take strict decisions.

The administration is committed to conducting the election process in a free, fair, transparent, and disciplined manner. Dr. Ashwini Joshi has therefore made it clear that any delay, negligence, or violation of instructions will not be tolerated. All officers and employees are directed to immediately accept and faithfully discharge their assigned election duties, failing which legal and administrative action will be unavoidable.

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to a refreshingly cool and pleasant Saturday morning, offering residents a short-lived break from the city’s typically humid weather. Clear skies, gentle breezes and comparatively lower temperatures made the early hours comfortable and inviting.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature dipped to around 18°C, while the maximum was expected to climb to about 32°C. These conditions made it one of the more agreeable winter days the city has experienced this season.

Despite the favourable weather, environmental concerns remained firmly in focus. A noticeable haze hung over several parts of Mumbai, signalling that air pollution continues to be a serious issue. Data from air quality monitoring platform AQI.in showed the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 205 on Saturday morning, categorising it as ‘unhealthy’. At such levels, prolonged exposure can trigger health problems, especially among children, elderly residents and those suffering from asthma or other respiratory conditions.

The sustained decline in air quality is largely due to Mumbai’s ongoing infrastructure expansion. Massive government-led projects such as metro rail construction, coastal road development, bridge works and widespread road-widening initiatives are generating major amounts of dust and fine particulate matter. These pollutants linger in the atmosphere, particularly during winter, when dry weather prevents particles from settling quickly.

Adding to the problem are numerous private real estate developments across the city. Continuous construction activity releases dust into the air, compounding the pollution load and worsening breathing conditions for residents in nearby areas.

Area-wise AQI readings highlighted stark disparities across Mumbai. Chembur emerged as the worst-affected locality, recording a severe AQI of 349. Kurla followed with an AQI of 318, while Sewri West registered 315, both falling under the ‘severe’ category. Versova and Wadala East also reported dangerously high ‘unhealthy’ readings of 315 and 312, respectively.

Suburban areas showed marginally better air quality, though conditions were still far from ideal. Bandra West recorded a ‘moderate’ AQI of 87, offering relatively cleaner air. Jogeshwari East and Govandi posted ‘poor’ readings of 110 and 117, while Borivali East and Santacruz East recorded AQIs of 123 and 140, respectively.

As per standard classifications, AQI levels between 0 and 50 are ‘good’, 51–100 ‘moderate’, 101–200 ‘poor’, 201–300 ‘unhealthy’, and above 300 ‘severe’ or ‘hazardous’.