MUMBAI: All four operational metro lines in the city including the new underground Line 3 criss-cross through one or the other assembly constituency in North-West Mumbai.
Metro 1 passes through Andheri East, Andheri West and Versova assembly segments, underground Metro through Jogeshwari and Andheri East, Line 7 through Dindoshi and Andheri East while Metro 2A traverses Goregaon and Andheri West.These lines reflect the aspirations of the average Mumbaikar for safe, quick and comfortable commutes.

The six constituencies here have a number of industrial areas (MIDC, SEEPZ, Laxmi industrial estate), film studios and allied facilities, IT and BFSI offices as well as other corporates. Metro has made travel to such destinations easier. "There are three important infrastructure developments in recent years - Atal Setu, Metros and the Coastal road. Of these, two projects touch some of these constituencies. This is a major achievement," said BJP MLA of Andheri West Ameet Satam, suggesting that impact of infrastructure development would work in the governing coalition's favour.
But everything isn't hunky dory. North West stretches across Versova, Andheri West, Andheri East, Goregaon, Jogeshwari East and Dindoshi segments. While constituencies on the western side have more buildings than slums (60:40), those on the east have a huge concentration of slums (80:20). Height restrictions due to the airport and the army's transmission towers in Juhu have impacted redevelopment and slum rehabilitation.
The coast on the west with large swathes of mangroves in Versova and Goregaon and Dindoshi hills and Aarey Colony in the east also make the North West area an ecological hot spot in Mumbai.
In 2019 BJP won all three assembly seats it contested: Versova, Andheri West and Goregaon, where it was up against ally Shiv Sena. Sena too won three: Andheri East, Jogeshwari East and Dindoshi. Now, five years later, the Sena is split. This reflected in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Sena (UBT) MLA from Jogeshwari East Ravindra Waikar joined the Shinde Sena after he came under probe by central agencies. He contested the Lok Sabha polls from Mumbai North West and won by a wafer-thin margin of 48 votes. In his own erstwhile assembly constituency he trailed by over 12,000 votes.
"There is no one issue that will hold sway in this assembly elections. The anti-Modi sentiment evident during the Lok Sabha elections is no longer there. A large number of women from minority communities have benefitted from Ladki Bahin scheme. The Muslim community votes itself could be spread over the Muslim League, the AIMIM...." said Ajay Vaidya, a Versova resident.
An elected representative from Mumbai North-West on condition of anonymity said "money" would play a major role. "It is not just slums, even residents of highrises have their demands. It is estimated that in Mumbai in every assembly constituency a candidate would need to splurge at least Rs 25 crore."
Sena (UBT) is keen on all six seats while Congress is keen on Versova, Andheri West and Andheri East. In the Mahayuti, the BJP, besides the three it won in 2019, is insistent on Andheri East. While Shinde Sena may concede Andheri East to BJP it will want to keep Jogeshwari East and Dindoshi. For Waikar winning the Jogeshwari East would be crucial given that in 2024 it was one constituency where he was trailing number as compared to the others.