India, Dec. 12 -- With the BMC election campaign less than a month away, the role of the resident welfare associations is assuming a more critical role in reaching out to voters.

"We are the link between citizens and candidates," said Dhaval Shah, co-founder of the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association (LOCA). "Active citizens like us are not just aware of the issues in the locality but also know how to pursue them with the right authorities and ensure that promises are delivered long after candidates forget us post-elections."

Shah said that LOCA asked four major parties to list their most probable candidates and then took an online poll to list the one residents favoured the most. "About 2,700 persons responded, a sizable number c...