On January 15, 2026, Mumbai's young voters cast their ballots in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections amid uncertainty. With 1,700 candidates across 227 wards, many struggled to pick their preferred choice. Wards 9 and 21 saw tougher fights among BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, AAP, MNS, and BSP. Payal Dongre, 20, and Rahul Khernar, 30, both from Borivali, told The Hindu they found the elections "confusing". Dongre, voting for the first time, said, "BJP is communal, MNS is not less communal either. So how to decide the right candidate? I could only choose the least bad." She hopes for more jobs for locals. Khernar praised BJP's development but doubted candidates' loyalty, citing BJP’s Shweta Korgaonkar, who previously contested for Congress. In ward 9, four alliances including BJP-RPI-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), Congress-VBA, Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP-SP-MNS, and BSP compete fiercely. Ward 21 contests involve BJP, MNS, and BSP, with BJP aiming to regain control. BJP ex-corporator Leena Deherkar shifted from ward 30 to 21. In 2017, BJP won a record 82 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) 84, Congress 31, and MNS 7. BJP is steadily growing in the traditionally Shiv Sena-dominated BMC. A Kandivali voter noted, "All parties have their own voter base... we are just fillers who are voting based on hope." Daisy Lal, 21, prefers BJP's development agenda, saying, "Development has been more visible during the BJP’s tenure compared to Uddhav Thackeray's 25 years." She added, "Sometimes development needs to be prioritised." Parties have framed their campaigns on communal and Marathi identities. Mahayuti wants a "Hindu-Marathi" Mayor, while Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS back a Marathi Mayor. However, Gen-Z voters insist on a "well-educated Mayor" who can lead with effective policies.