Bhojpuri Stars Enter the Mumbai Municipal Elections: “Jai Ho!”

By Sharad Rai

The city of Bollywood, Mumbai, is once again painted in election colors. This time, the election is for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), popularly known in Hindi as the “Manpa.” Scheduled to be held on 15 January 2026, the election has seen all major political parties of the country throwing their full weight into the contest. It is worth noting that Mumbai is considered the financial capital of India, and the BMC’s budget is larger than that of several Indian states. This is precisely why major political parties such as the BJP, Congress, and Shiv Sena are trying to rope in Bhojpuri stars for their election campaigns.

In Mumbai’s suburbs, Bhojpuri-speaking voters are believed to play a decisive role in Manpa elections. To influence these voters, the BJP has instructed Bhojpuri film stars to actively participate in campaigning and has entrusted the responsibility to Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari. Recently, Manoj Tiwari addressed massive gatherings and appealed to people to vote. Along with him, several other influential Bhojpuri personalities are involved in the campaign, including actor-MP Ravi Kishan (Gorakhpur), actor-MP Dinesh Lal Yadav ‘Nirahua’ (Azamgarh), actors Sanjay Pandey, Awadhesh Mishra, Manoj Tiger, and Bhojpuri singer and Bihar MLA Maithili Thakur, all of whom have a strong connect with voters from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Meanwhile, there are also reports that controversial singer Neha Singh Rathore may soon arrive in Mumbai.

Mumbai has nearly 2.5 million North Indian voters, whose influence is believed to affect outcomes in around 120 seats. In many suburban areas, 20 to 40 percent of voters are North Indians. Large numbers of North Indian families live in both the eastern and western parts of areas such as Dahisar, Borivali, Kandivali, Dindoshi, Malad, Goregaon, Jogeshwari, Vile Parle, Santacruz, Khar, Bandra, Mahim, Dadar, Parel, Kurla, Vikhroli, Mankhurd, Chembur, Ghatkopar, Versova, and Kalina. Many people associated with the film industry—technicians, actors, musicians, junior artists, and others—reside in these localities. Indrasen Singh, a former film director who is now a senior local BJP leader, says, “North Indians are now in a very strong position in Mumbai. They live here with their families, and in many areas, they are decisive voters.”

From Char Bangla (Andheri), BJP corporator Sudha Singh, who was once a TV actress and film producer, is contesting again and is considered a strong candidate. Akriti Prasad of the BJP—who owns a studio, editing room, and preview theatre in Adarsh Nagar—is not contesting this time but remains very active in campaigning.

There has traditionally been a sense of dissatisfaction among North Indian voters regarding Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). However, this time, Vagish Saraswat is playing an important role in connecting MNS with North Indian voters. Vagish is a well-known writer, film producer, and the organizer of the popular Vagdhara Awards.

Overall, actor-MP Manoj Tiwari and other Bhojpuri stars are making determined efforts to woo voters. Manoj Tiwari says, “In Mumbai, our identity is that of North Indians—we are North Indian-Marathi. Mumbai is our workplace.” What impact the appeal of Bhojpuri stars will have on the election results remains to be seen. For now, it’s all about one slogan—Jai H