Mumbai, the financial capital of India, has taken center stage in the political arena, exerting its influence on the discourse in New Delhi. A string of visits by prominent figures from non-BJP parties to Mumbai serves as a clear indication of the city's significance in national politics, particularly in the upcoming 2024 general elections.
The state of Maharashtra, with Mumbai as its capital, holds the second-highest number of Lok Sabha seats (48), a critical factor for any party or coalition aspiring to form the central government, just behind Uttar Pradesh.
Moreover, Mumbai is home to Sharad Pawar, an influential figure in national politics. This octogenarian leader of the NCP has served as Maharashtra's chief minister four times and held ministerial positions in the cabinets of Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. Aside from his extensive six-decade political career, Pawar's unique selling point lies in his ability to forge connections with leaders from diverse parties and ideologies.
In 2019, he experimented with the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, uniting warring parties against the BJP. Pawar's national clout was evident recently during his "resignation drama" when leaders across political parties in India urged him to continue as the NCP chief. Pawar is emerging as one of the major faces of the opposition unity against the BJP in 2024.
Uddhav Thackeray, another significant figure hailing from Mumbai, demands attention in the upcoming elections. Despite leading a regional party, Shiv Sena (UBS), he has emerged as an anti-BJP force in the country. His decision to sever ties with the BJP and form a government with the Congress and the NCP further bolsters his anti-BJP credentials. The rebellion within his party orchestrated by the BJP in 2022 intensified the animosity between him and the BJP leadership.
It is due to the clout of these two leaders, Pawar and Thackeray, that several stalwarts from different states and parties have flocked to Mumbai in recent months. The likes of Mamata Banerjee, KC Rao, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, and others have met them to discuss the formation of a national front against the BJP. Rahul Gandhi is also likely to meet them shortly.
Historically, Mumbai has given birth to numerous politicians who have shaped the corridors of power in Delhi. These leaders either hailed from Mumbai, resided in the city, or spent a significant portion of their lives there.
The late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was born in Mumbai, while Morarji Desai, another Prime Minister, was based in the city. George Fernandez gained national recognition by leading trade unions in Mumbai, and even Mahatma Gandhi resided in the city for several years and frequently visited during the freedom struggle. Slain BJP leader Pramod Mahajan was also a resident of Mumbai. Notably, Pakistan's founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, resided in a bungalow on Malabar Hill for nearly ten years until 1946.
(Bombayphile is published every Saturday where Jitendra Dixit writes about the past and the present of Mumbai.)
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