BMC polls: Gujaratis of Ghatkopar & Mulund skip annual Uttarayan trip to vote

MUMBAI : Gujarati-dominated pockets of Ghatkopar and Mulund recorded a strong turnout on polling day, with several voters and officials attributing the mobilisation to the community’s preference for the BJP and a determination to vote amid a charged campaign.

A polling officer in Garodia Nagar said there was heavy polling in the morning and by afternoon the turnout had touched 50%. Ghatkopar’s Nitesh Nathwani said many families that typically travel to Gujarat for Uttarayan chose to stay back. “Many dropped the plans for the elections,” he said.





BJP’s Vinayak Kamath claimed the party was seeing support cutting across communities. “We are getting a good response from all sections of society. Our performance will be extremely good,” he said. Some voters in Ghatkopar framed their choice as a response to what they described as targeting of Gujaratis during the campaign. “We are upset with Gujaratis being targeted. Our vote is always for the BJP,” said Bhavesh Shah, a resident.

In Ghatkopar, mobilisation was not limited to Gujarati pockets. In Marathi-dominated Bhatwadi, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena mounted heavy voter outreach through the day, with local workers focusing on voter turnout in what leaders described as a tight contest where the party’s closest rival was the MNS. In Amrut Nagar as well, BJP workers were seen actively mobilising voters, with ground-level assessments suggesting a close fight against Shiv Sena (UBT) in key booths.

Mulund, meanwhile, saw a visible split in voter mobilisation across its two halves. Mulund West reported a strong family turnout in Gujarati pockets while Mulund East and parts of Bhandup saw Marathi voters step out in large numbers, resulting in long queues.

In Mulund West’s Sarvodaya Nagar and nearby areas, senior citizens from Gujarati families, often accompanied by relatives, turned up in significant numbers through the day.

In contrast, Mulund East and Bhandup witnessed heavy afternoon footfall, with voters reporting packed queues and longer waiting times. A voter from Bhandup said, “There is no place to stand in the queue and it may take long— but I am happy with such a large number of Marathi voters.” By 1.30 pm, Mumbai’s average turnout was around 30%, while Ward 114 in Bhandup had reached 41%, stated official figures.

With queues continuing till late afternoon in Bhandup West, Sena (UBT), MNS and BJP–Sena leaders were seen reaching out to Marathi voters. UBT candidate Archana Chavre (Ward 105) linked the surge in Mulund East to the renewed Uddhav-Raj “Thackeray brand”, their joint appearance and Raj’s rally speech.