Lok Sabha elections 2024: ‘I want to make a difference to lives of sweepers’

Manisha Khakhdiya with supporters after filing her nomination

In the upcoming Lok Sabha election this year, a BMC sweeper's wife, Manisha Khakhdiya, is contesting independently from Mumbai South. Khakhdiya aims to secure rights for the sweepers to own houses and obtain jobs in the BMC. Khakhdiya, a resident of south Mumbai, is a SSC pass and has two kids. Her husband Lalit works with BMC's E ward as a sweeper, and they have been jointly advocating for the rights of sweepers for many years.

"I am from the scheduled caste. My husband inspired me to do something for the sweepers this time. Every time candidates visit the sweepers' doors for votes, promising jobs and houses, but they never fulfil their promises," she told mid-day.

"I want to fight for the sweepers in Mumbai. Around 35,000 sweepers work with BMC in different wards. I am confident they will support me and vote for me. There is still corruption in the BMC, and this is unjust to the sweepers and their families. Sweepers are the backbone of the city; they keep the city clean every day, collecting garbage from each house and cleaning roads and sewers at their own risk. But after completing their duties, they are not getting their rights," she said.

According to Khakhadiya, the 1986-87 Government Rules (GR) clearly state that BMC workers living in BMC quarters for more than 35 years should receive houses in their own names. In the city, around 35,000 sweepers work in BMC and live with their families. However, there are currently only 39 BMC colonies in the city with 5,900 houses.

Khakhadiya also mentioned that more than 12,500 people who applied for the jobs as their parents' replacements have filed cases. These cases are still pending from 1975. The BMC is hiring people on a contractual basis instead of giving priority to the employees' sons or daughters, as per the GR.

Khakhadiya said she will conduct her election campaign on the roads where the sweepers work daily. She will also meet them and address their complaints to resolve them. Apart from Khakhadiya, the candidates from Mumbai South this year are Yamini Yashwant Jadhav, who is the current MLA from the Shiv Sena-Shinde alliance party and Arvind Sawant from the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Thackeray alliance party, while the Congress candidate for the seat has not yet been declared.

35K
Approx no of sweepers working for BMC