BMC polls: GenY can't care less

MUMBAI: Political parties busy wooing the youngsters in the town for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections may be in for a major disappointment. For, the GenY appears to be least interested in the polls. Most of them are not even aware about the election date (February 1).

“We have lost faith in the BMC,” goes their justification. ET spoke to a cross section of youngsters, ranging from IT and ITeS employees to chartered accountants to professionals in the finance sector. They seem to be well aware of the functions the BMC is expected to perform, but when it comes to the efficiency level, they rate it poorly.

Shilpa, a BPO employee, says the BMC is responsible for the civic welfare by providing continuous water supply, constructing parks and good roads. “The problem with the civic body is they are not responsive.

I sent a couple of SMS messages to the number given by the BMC, but didn’t get any response,” she says. Adds Melisa, a banking professional: “The BMC is a passive body. We don’t hear or read about the work done by them. In that case, we are left with no choice but to believe that they don’t do much work.”

Many believe that the BMC may have undertaken many projects to improve the city infrastructure, but that has not been put across properly. Hence, the confusion about the role of the civic body.

Though young professionals in the city are not quite impressed with BMC’s style of working, most of them want to cast their vote in the upcoming elections. Says Rakesh, an IT professional, “I’m not sure if the BMC will be able to get its act together. But I would like to cast my vote. At least, we should do our bit before pointing the finger at the organisation.”

Among the major concerns voiced by the respondents, bad traffic and congested routes topped the list. According to them, decongesting traffic and better road planning should be BMC’s topmost priority. “The BMC is undertaking a massive road construction project, but it is taking too long. This has added to our problems rather than reducing them,” says Shilpa.

The young and the restless in the city, it seems, have their political preference quite straight and simple — more of fresh blood to contest the polls. This, they say, would motivate them to exercise their franchise. With election clock ticking away quickly, it’s the youth brigade that may well decide the poll outcome.

chhavi.dang@timesgroup.com