'Power of commoners'; Thrissur native scripts landslide victory in Mumbai Corporation elections

NEW DELHI: A Thrissur resident scripted a stunning victory in the Mumbai Corporation elections from Dharavi ward. Jagadish Thaivalappil, a native of Irinjalakuda, defeated BJP candidate by a margin of 3400 votes. While responding to a Malayalam media, he said that commoners stood by him at a time when BJP brought prominent faces to ensure his defeat. Jagadish, a resident of Dharavi, contested the elections as an independent candidate.

Jagadish won the 2017 elections by a margin of 400 votes. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Tamil Nadu BJP Vice President and actress Khushbu, and BJP leader Annamalai had visited Dharavi to campaign this time. Jagadish also said that people did not vote based on party affiliation.

Jagadish came to Mumbai 40 years ago in search of a job and better prospects. In the meantime, he entered politics as per the wishes of his friends. In 2017, he contested the corporation as a Shiv Sena candidate. Even after the party split into two, Jagdish sincerely stood by Uddhav and even refused lucrative offers from the Shinde faction. BJP was Jagadish's main opponent in the ward, which has 52,000 voters.

Meanwhile, the BJP-led Mahayuti Front has captured the Mumbai Corporation this time. For the first time in history, a BJP mayor will helm the affairs of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The BJP has become the largest party in the Mumbai Corporation, ending the Shiv Sena's dominance since the 1970s. The Mahayuti has narrowly defeated the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) faction, which joined hands with the Navnirman Sena (MNS). The BJP will rule the corporation in conjunction with the Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction, which joined the NDA after the split in 2022. Except for Mumbai, the alliance with the MNS did not help the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) in the corporations. Shiv Sena (Shinde), which is part of the Mahayuti, made gains in other corporations.