Give and take

For Mumbai, this simple formula of democracy clicked. The big names, the cash, the flash8212;ultimately it just didn8217;t matter. One of ...

For Mumbai, this simple formula of democracy clicked. The big names, the cash, the flash8212;ultimately it just didn8217;t matter.

One of the most evocative examples of how un-starstruck the city is came on Tuesday. A doctor waiting in an Andheri voting booth went up and tapped actor Anil Kapoor on the shoulder after the filmstar had waltzed straight in, and told him to get in the queue.

The same no-nonsense attitude was reflected in the way Mumbai voted. Through the days of September and October, voters enjoyed the show but plumped finally for candidates whom they knew8212;and trusted to get the water connections, fix the potholes, clear the garbage and regularise homes.

So what if he8217;s an ex-don. Chinchpokhli sealed its love for Arun Gawli today because he got bathrooms made, chawls fixed8212;never mind the civic rules.

From the beginning, the prettiest face of the assembly election, sari designer Shaina NC, had no hope in hell because Baba Siddique has paved Bandra8217;s potholed crossings with new interlocked tiles. Gracefully admitting defeat, she said, she needed to do more work, needed more time for people to know her better.

Ignoring the weakened Tiger8217;s last growl at Shivaji Park last Sunday, Mumbai booted out seven BJP-Sena MLAs, the ones who held on to their seats are the ones who had done work.

Goregaon smoothly showed the door to the man who grounded Mumbai8217;s working millions twice this year, union leader Sharad Rao. In Trombay, former Pota-accused Mohammed Afroz, who has made a public career out the limelight he got, is holding his head with barely 5,000 votes to show.

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Malabar Hill buzzed with heavyweights campaigning for candidate Raj Shroff, better known as the Chief Minister8217;s son-in-law, but those living in Mumbai8217;s costliest address preferred to go with two-time MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha BJP.

The cruellest were Bhandup8217;s voters.

They booted out the sitting MLA and former minister Liladhar Dake 66, who8217;s held this constituency for decades. Dake had begun to slack because of ill-health. Sanjay Patil 34 saw the opportunity and over the last few years, sourced MP funds and got water to residents and the roads repaired.

nbsp;	MUMBAI VOTES

		nbsp;	8226; 2004: BJP: 4, Sena: 10, Cong: 15, NCP: 4, Akhil Bharatiya Sena: 1 8226; 1999: BJP: 8, Sena: 12, Cong: 11, NCP: 1, SP: 2	nbsp;

Across constituencies, the winning formula was in locality development: Water, roads, bathrooms. Sometimes, just an extra plot for the dead. Building crematoria brought the notorious Tara Singh BJP victory in Bhandup.

The mandate is clear: All that the overpopulated city, that is swiftly coming apart at the seams, wants is an MLA who will get the little things fixed.