MUMBAI, Jan. 5 -- As the city heads into the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls after a gap of nine years, political parties across the board are closing in on Marathi identity as the central campaign theme, displacing development and civic governance. The first signs of this shift surfaced last month, soon after the State Election Commission (SEC) announced the long-pending polls. Anonymous posters appeared in traditional Marathi neighbourhoods such as Girgaon and Dadar, bearing slogans like "Marathi people, wake up, the night is stormy. This is a fight for your very existence," and, "Wake up Marathi people, save Mumbai". The posters urged consolidation of Marathi-speakers without naming any party. Estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray cashed in on the prevailing mood, saying they were coming together for the sake of the Marathi manoos, and announced an alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for elections to the BMC and other civic bodies in the state. The BJP too, in a marked shift from its long-standing thrust on 'vikas' (development), announced that if the Mahayuti came to power, Mumbai would get a Marathi mayor, while the Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena projected itself as the "real" inheritor of the Sena and its commitment to the Marathi manoos. As the allegiance of Marathi-speaking voters assumes increasing importance in the contest to control India's richest civic body, HT takes a look at prominent wards where the Marathi electorate is likely to be particularly influential. Dadar is the birthplace of the Shiv Sena and the place where Sena Bhavan is located. The Thackeray cousins, through the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance, are attempting to consolidate traditional Marathi voters here even as the Shinde-led Sena puts up a stiff fight. Key candidates in the fray include former mayor Vishakha Raut from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Priya Sarvankar, daughter of MLA Sada Sarvankar, from the Shiv Sena. For many voters, however, their concerns are not aligned with identity politics. Suhas Patwardhan, 81, a Shivaji Park resident, said issues like pollution mattered much more. "I've lived here for 79 years. I don't care about Marathi candidates or the politics being played out. I suffer from bronchitis and my only concern is the dust pollution in the park," he said. Activist Ashok Ravat, 88, who has worked tirelessly to preserve open spaces, questioned populist promises. "The Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance has promised property tax exemptions for homes up to 700 square feet. But nothing should be free," he said. "Marathi voters are likely to be more influenced by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's administrative image than by either faction of the Sena." Often seen as the nerve centre of Sena politics, Worli is Aaditya Thackeray's bastion as he is the sitting member of the legislative assembly (MLA). But discontent simmers among the fishing community here. "When Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister, our concerns about the coastal road were ignored. Shinde listened, compensated us and provided a 120-metre span for boat movement. That's why Kolis supported him in the assembly elections," said N Patil, a resident of Worli Koliwada. Key contestants here include former corporator Samadhan Sarvankar from the Shinde-led Sena and former mayor Kishori Pednekar from the Sena (UBT). Patil said though Kolis had backed the Shinde-led Sena in the assembly polls, they would not vote for the Sena candidate this time as he was responsible for hardships they faced during construction of the coastal road. The heart of Mumbai's erstwhile mill district, the F-South ward has witnessed last-minute political shifts. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded former mayor Shraddha Jadhav while the Shinde-led Sena has fielded Anil Kokil, a former Sena (UBT) loyalist who defected to the Shinde camp after being denied a ticket. "This was a winning seat for Sena (UBT), but Kokil was not given a ticket," said Lalbaug resident Pramod Jadhav. The Marathi identity pitch is less effective here as voters say local issues are more important. "For Parlekars, Marathi versus non-Marathi is no longer a criterion," said resident Sanjay Kolwankar. "The area has been a BJP bastion for years." Another resident, Varsha Karambelkar, said, "For 15 years, our MLAs and corporators have been from the BJP. Voters are unlikely to be swayed by identitarian appeals." The R-North ward has emerged as a high-stakes battleground, with the Shinde-led Sena making noticeable inroads through infrastructure-focused campaigning. Key contenders here include BJP's Tejasvee Ghosalkar and the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Saurabh Ghosalkar, from the same family....