Election fever takes over Mumbai’s skyline: Three alliances, six parties in full campaign mode

As the state elections set for November 20 approach, Mumbai has become a battleground for political messaging, with major parties ramping up their advertising efforts through extensive use of outdoor media. The city’s skyline and streets are adorned with a variety of billboards, digital screens, and hoardings showcasing the political promises and alliances that are pivotal to this election season. 

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party’s Ajit Pawar faction and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, has made a visible push, filling prime outdoor advertising spaces with messages promoting development projects and welfare schemes. Their campaign emphasises ongoing infrastructure projects like the metro, coastal roads, and other public work endeavours. 

On the other hand, the opposition alliance comprising Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party have also staked their claim on significant outdoor advertising spots. Their campaign materials are visible alongside and even interspersed with those of their political rivals, challenging the status quo and asserting their agenda to the public. 

Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is taking a different approach, choosing to fight this election independently. His party’s outdoor campaigns, though smaller in scale, still stand out, vying for attention amidst the larger political fray. 

What’s particularly striking in this election cycle is the saturation of advertising on digital out-of-home (DOOH) screens. Unlike typical brand advertising—where companies often negotiate clauses to ensure exclusivity or minimal competition—the current political advertising has no such restrictions. One screen might display a BJP campaign, only to switch moments later to a Congress-led alliance message or an MNS promotion. This overlapping visibility underscores the intensity of the competition, as all parties strive to capture the public’s attention and sway the electorate. 

With the entire city transformed into a political showcase, it’s clear that Mumbai is at the epicentre of a fierce battle for power, reflected in the relentless and all-encompassing campaign strategies of these major political players.