MUMBAI, Jan. 7 -- More than 10 years after she became a part of the Save Aarey Movement to prevent the construction of the metro car shed in the city forest, 22-year-old Sejal Bhopi is gearing up for another significant fight on January 15. A Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate, Bhopi, who was pursuing a BA in rural development, quit her studies in the second year due to financial issues and has since been working on the ground. She has been an activist with the Democratic Youth Federation of India, the youth wing of the CPI-M. Working as a salesgirl, she resigned recently to contest the polls. Bhopi is contesting from Ward No 121, the only ST-reserved women's seat in the BMC elections, which comprises 28,000 voters. The ward has six candidates in the fray-apart from the CPI-M, there is the Shiv Sena (UBT), Shiv Sena, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and two independents. At Gunda Pachal on the edge of Aarey forest, a narrow opening leads to chawls. Inside, a tiny tin room functions as Bhopi's campaign office. On Tuesday, 20-odd people between the ages of 25 and 35 accompanied her on her campaign with red flags, mufflers, and unique and forceful slogans, a style of campaigning that locals say is a hallmark of Bhopi's campaign. Asked about her priorities, Bhopi said that while the broader issues were common across Mumbai, environmental protection, adivasi rights, women's safety, hygiene, and education were central to her campaign. "Even without being elected corporators, we have worked on these issues for years. You can ask anyone in the area who has actually been on the ground," she said, adding that the campaign was not merely about seeking votes. "We are going to people to build their consciousness about what a corporator is supposed to do, and what they have actually done and what can we do once we are elected." The issues are many-from broken pathways and overflowing gutters to SRA redevelopment surveys that promise Aarey residents houses to questions of adivasi identity and livelihood. But Bhopi is placing emphasis on civic issues. "Adivasi areas are deprived of many basic civic facilities that come easily to others," she said. "We will be working to ensure they get these." Voters that HT spoke to said that despite living next to Vihar Lake, one of Mumbai's major water supply sources, residents of the ward continued to face regular water shortages. "Imagine living beside a lake and still struggling for water," one resident said, adding that they would vote for someone who understood the issue and could get it resolved. Jayesh Nikule, a resident of Ultan Pada, said: "For us Adivasis, having a local representative matters. We were happy to learn that our ward had become an ST ward. Despite our large population, we have been consistently neglected by every political party . Having one of our own gives us an avenue to negotiate with the BMC, whether it is for ST certificates or community-specific issues. How can an outsider understand these issues?" The youth of Morarji Nagar are reportedly taking a special interest in Bhopi's campaign. Photographer Jairaj Nadar, 26, said that all parties spoke of youth representation but it remained only rhetoric, with young people used during elections and sidelined later. "This is why many are supporting Sejal, whom they see as a genuine representative of their generation," he said. Bhopi ties the fortunes of Aarey to those of the city in which it stands. "While our main issue is to save Aarey, it is also about Mumbai," she said. "Seven years ago, we had predicted that Mumbai would begin resembling the mess that we see today-that the temperature would spiral, summers would be worse as would monsoons, leading to flooding. Hence, to protect Aarey is to fundamentally fight for the preservation of Mumbai."...