Now, real test begins for BJP

Mumbai has voted for change but the real test for the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis begins now Winning the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC is one thing running it effectively is anotherFrom roads that vanish every monsoon to trains packed beyond capacity from clogged drains to an unreliable water supply the city has long suffered from promises that never materialised Fadnavis and his ally Eknath Shindersquos Shiv Sena faction have experience in city governance but experience alone will not make life easier for ordinary MumbaikarsThe question now is simple will they use their expertise to deliver real change or will this be just old wine in a new bottle A new regime is all set to take charge of the BMC a civic body that runs the city with a massive annual budget of R74000 crore which the undivided Shiv Sena ruled for nearly 25 yearsBut those comprising the new regime are not complete outsiders The BJP has been running the city alongside the undivided Shiv Sena for almost 20 years and even Shindersquos faction has the same experience In fact Fadnavis has even served as mayor of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Shinde was a corporator of the Thane Municipal Corporation They know the workings of the civic body its finances its politics and its entrenched bureaucracyMumbai is a city of hardworking people At the crack of dawn lakhs leave their homes to earn a living but even the basics remain a daily struggle Footpaths are broken or blocked and what should be a short trip can take hours due to trafficTo add to existing woes in recent years the cityrsquos environment has been under threat the air is getting dirtier open spaces are shrinking and mangroves and green areas are constantly at risk Every year floods hit harder a clear sign that drainage systems are outdated or poorly maintained When the rains come the city grinds to a halt and ordinary citizens must bear the bruntDrinking water is another daily worry Some areas get it for only a few hours while others depend on tankers In a city that calls itself Indiarsquos financial capital clean reliable water should not be a struggleIn a recent interview with midday Fadnavis had categorically mentioned that administrative reforms will be his top priority But at the same time he admitted that change will not be easy The BMC often called Asiarsquos richest civic body has long been plagued by corruption mismanagement and poor accountabilityFor many Mumbaikars it is seen as a ldquomilking cowrdquo that benefits contractors and politicians while basic civic services continue to fail Reforming a body this powerful will take more than words It will require strong political will transparency and the courage to take on entrenched interestsFor the Thackerays the game is far from over Even as the new regime promises reform Opposition parties the Shiv Sena UBT led by Uddhav and Aaditya the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena under Raj and his son Amit and others will play a crucial role A vigilant Opposition can expose mismanagement hold the BJPShinde Sena government accountable and ensure that promised reforms actually reach the ground Without strong checks and oversight even the best intentions can remain empty wordsThis election result is a clear message Mumbaikars are watching If the new rulers focus only on power and politics disappointment will come fast But if they concentrate on what really matters fixing roads improving public transport protecting the environment upgrading drainage and ensuring clean drinking water then change will be felt in every corner of the cityThe stakes are high Citizens are not asking for miracles they want basic services that work reliably every day They want roads they can drive on without risking life trains and buses that are safe and less crowded clean water flowing from taps and drains that do not turn streets into rivers every monsoon They want to live in a city that respects their hard work where commuting errands and daily life do not become constant strugglesIf citizens start seeing real improvements safer commutes cleaner water smoother travel better roads they may embrace the development agenda of Fadnavis or Deva Bhau as he is popularly referred and remember him as ldquoDev Manoosrdquo the peoplersquos man as he hopes to be But this can be a reality only if promises are turned into real everyday relief for the millions who call Mumbai homeBut if daily struggles remain the same the civic body government and especially Fadnavisrsquos image could take a serious hit one that will be hard to recover from and may even affect his future political standingThis is Mumbairsquos moment The city has voted for hope and now it waits to see whether that hope will translate into action The people have given the new government the chance it is now up to the leaders to prove that experience knowledge and power are used to improve lives not justfill headlinesSanjeev Shivadekar is political editor midday He tweets SanjeevShivadekSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper