Over the past three years, more than 99 per cent of funds allotted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for development work went to wards in constituencies represented by Mahayuti lawmakers, an investigation by The Indian Express of records obtained under the Right To Information (RTI) Act has found.
The records show that between February 2023 and October 2025, more than Rs 1,490.66 crore was sanctioned by the BMC for civic development, such as road repairs, drainage upgrades, health facilities and neighbourhood beautification.
Of this, Rs 1,476.92 crore went to areas under MLAs, MLCs and MPs from the ruling alliance of BJP, Ajit Pawar-led NCP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the records show. BJP lawmakers got the lion’s share (Rs 1076.7 crore), followed by those from Shinde’s Sena (Rs 372.7 crore).
In sharp contrast (see charts), only Rs 13.74 crore, or 0.9 per cent, was granted to the Opposition during this period — and that too to one legislator from the Congress, Amin Patel, who represents Mumbadevi, a constituency in South Mumbai with a sizable population of minorities. Of the rest, all the ten MLAs from the Shiv Sena (UBT), two others from the Congress and one from SP received no funds at all.
This imbalance is the continuation of a pattern first reported by The Indian Express in January 2024, when RTI data revealed that the entire Rs 500 crore disbursed in the initial phase of the temporary policy had gone exclusively to ruling-party MLAs.
These findings raise questions about fair governance in India’s richest municipal corporation with an annual budget of over Rs 74,000 crore, particularly with the BMC elections just days away. Urban policy experts point out that infrastructure is a key ingredient in pre-poll political messaging with upgraded public spaces reinforcing the visibility and electoral advantage of ruling-party legislators.
Story continues below this ad
Between February 2023 and November 2024, the Mahayuti had 21 MLAs from Mumbai while the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had 15 MLAs. After the Assembly elections in November 2024, the Mahayuti wrested one more seat from the Opposition. The MVA enjoys the upper hand when it comes to parliamentarians with four out of six MPs.
Consider this:
l In the current fiscal year, Rs 360 crore has been disbursed so far — all of it to ruling legislators.
l Among MLAs, Ram Kadam of Ghatkopar West (BJP) emerged as the top recipient with Rs 70 crore in civic funds: Rs 35 crore (FY 2023-24), Rs 17.5 crore (FY 2024-25), Rs 17.5 crore (FY 2025–26). The next in line was BJP’s Yogesh Sagar (Charkop) with Rs 67.47 crore followed by party colleague Atul Bhatkhalkar (Kandivali East) with Rs 66.06 crore.
The timing of allocations further sharpens concerns.
In the months preceding the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, RTI records show that over Rs 467 crore was released to ruling-party incumbents even as almost all Opposition legislators received no funds.
Story continues below this ad
l Between August and September 2024, weeks before the code of conduct was imposed on October 15, 23 ruling alliance BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde) MLAs received a total of Rs 357.3 crore in civic funds. The only Opposition MLA to receive a token allocation was once again Amin Patel of the Congress with Rs 3.92 crore.
l The total amount also includes funds granted to MLCs from Mumbai who do not represent any constituency. Even in this group, records show, none of the five MLCs from the Opposition were allotted funds — at least two of them, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sachin Ahir and NCP (SP)’s Sunil Shinde, told this newspaper that they had sought funding for civic development but their requests were ignored. BJP’s Pravin Darekar topped this list with Rs 33 crore: Rs 17.5 crore each in FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26.
‘Waiting for basic services’
At the heart of the imbalance in fund allocation is a policy introduced in February 2023, after the BMC’s elected body of corporators was dissolved at the end of its term in March 2022 and placed under a state-appointed administrator. In the absence of elected corporators, MLAs and MPs were authorised to propose development works for the 227 wards — a temporary administrative measure intended to prevent civic paralysis.
In practice, however, the policy concentrated the powers to grant funds, based on demands raised by the legislators and parliamentarians, in the hands of Mumbai’s Guardian Ministers: Shiv Sena’s Deepak Kesarkar (City) and BJP’s Mangal Prabhat Lodha (Suburban) from 2023-24; and, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (City) and BJP’s Ashish Shelar (Suburban) from January this year.
Story continues below this ad
When contacted by The Indian Express, Shelar said, “All fund allocations have been carried out strictly in accordance with BMC norms, and there is no question of any bias.” Shinde or his representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
“The MLAs and MPs write to the Guardian Ministers and the administrator, who is the BMC Commissioner, to avail the funds. Based on these proposals, the Guardian Ministers approve the funds, which are then processed by the BMC,” a senior BMC official said. BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani declined comment citing the model code of conduct in place for the January 15 polls.
Several Opposition legislators told this newspaper (see adjacent story) that civic work was “not just about politics”. Behind every pending proposal, they say, there are “thousands of people waiting for basic services”, such as broken toilets in slum pockets, clogged drains and unusable roads.
Ruling-party leaders attribute the imbalance to “incomplete proposals” from Opposition legislators. However, Opposition MLAs counter that proposals were repeatedly submitted and stalled at the approval stage.
Story continues below this ad
“Development visibility is narrative control. Where money flows determines who owns the political narrative before elections. Repaired roads, parks and street lighting are tangible demonstrations of governance and development work that ruling legislators can showcase to voters,” said Mrudul Nile, a public policy expert and professor at Mumbai University.
According to BMC officials, various departments of the civic body continue to carry out basic maintenance work across all areas of the city, covering basic facilities and services such as water supply and solid waste management.
They said the civic funds allotted on demands from MLAs and MPs (and earlier by corporators) cover the upgrade of amenities, such as repairs of footpaths, roads and drains; cemeteries, libraries and gardens; development of garbage disposal areas; construction and repair of community toilets; and beautification projects.
