Fadnavis Era vs MVA Rule: A Look At Who Drove Mumbai’s Infrastructure Forward As City Gears Up For BMC Elections 2026

Mumbai seems to be a crossroad. Did the city’s infrastructure and development accelerate under the BJP-led Mahayuti government, especially during Devendra Fadnavis’s tenure, with major projects such as the Metro, Coastal Road, and Atal Setu progressing swiftly?

It is also argued that during the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government, development slowed due to stalled projects, alleged ego clashes, and policy delays. 

Why Mumbai’s Growth Became a Political Debate

Modernity was palpable in Mumbai during Devendra Fadnavis’s leadership from 2014 to 2019. Large-scale work like the Mumbai Metro network, the Coastal Road and the Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu), which had never been built at all in decades, was laid to the ground under his leadership. 

The Political Battle Shaping Mumbai’s Future

The government of Uddhav Thackeray derailed the engine of development in 2019 after supposedly betraying the BJP and coming to power after undergoing what is said to be an unethical alliance with the Congress and the undivided NCP.

They claim that as a result of the feeling of vengeance to deny Devendra Fadnavis credit, the Aarey car shed of Metro Line 3 was stalled.

This one egocentric move raised the cost of the project by 10,000 crore and pushed the long-awaited commute of the Mumbai residents by four years.

The Return of Mahayuti

When the Mahayuti government took over the Maharashtra government in 2022, relief came to Maharashtra and Mumbai in particular.

Several projects have started picking up as Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis removed all the long-pending hurdles in a matter of days.

Newest Landmarks of Mumbai

Mumbaikars got a big gift in the form of the Atal Setu after the Mahayuti government took over the reign, and Fadnavis was the one leading it. 

The longest sea bridge in the country was the Mumbai Trans Harbour link (Mumbai transit sea bridge, Atal Setu), built in record time under the Mahayuti government and made available to the people.

The strong political will of the Mahayuti government is what makes the Coastal Road capable of enabling one to travel between South Mumbai and Worli in a couple of minutes.

The bullet train project, which was being criticised as an unwanted project, is now being implemented at war footing. In conjunction with this, new metro routes in Mumbai are constantly being included as a service to the Mumbaikars, and it is improving the infrastructure development in the city.

What happened in the 2024 Assembly elections? 

In the 2024 Assembly elections, the Mahayuti party secured a government in Maharashtra again under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis.

The style of working of the Uddhav Thackeray and allied parties has been termed as allegedly being anti-development. 

The citizens of Mumbai are supposed to consider whether they would like to have high-speed development or a government that postpones significant projects.

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