MUMBAI, Jan. 3 -- With elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) less than two weeks away, citizen forums, civil society groups and resident associations across Mumbai released charters this week, clearly defining their expectations of aspirational corporators. From pothole management, road quality, solid waste management, transparency and grievance redressal, residents say the long-delayed civic polls have sharpened public scrutiny, with voters signalling that future corporators will be held accountable. The charters reflect a citywide impatience with civic failures that directly affect quality of life. One such manifesto to be released by Praja Foundation, a non-profit working to enable accountable urban governance, and other civil society organisations, flagged a steady erosion of ward-level financial autonomy, noting that ward budget's share of the overall BMC budget dropped from 18% in 2021-22 to 11% in 2025-26. These concerns have found place in ward-level charters; one citizen group, the Chandivali Citizens' Welfare Association (CCWA), has demanded that corporators formally pledge not to misuse BMC funds. Calling their manifesto a call to action, Praja urged residents to seek written commitments from candidates and move from passive voting to active civic participation, warning that Mumbai "cannot afford another five years of elite mobility at the cost of mass liveability"....