Congress leader retains Prabhag 19 seat, credits public trust, service record and cross-community support
MIRA-BHAYANDAR, THANE — Congress leader Rubina Feroze has returned to the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation in Thane district of Maharashtra for a second consecutive term, winning from Prabhag No. 19 and leading all four candidates of her panel to victory. Her win stands out in an election largely dominated by the BJP, which saw several smaller parties wiped out.
Rubina, who first won the ward in 2017, secured a fresh mandate from the same constituency. Prabhag 19 has a mixed population of Marathi and Gujarati speakers, with Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Jains living together. Muslims form a small minority in the ward, yet the results reflected broad support cutting across community lines.
Speaking to Urdu daily Inquilab, Feroze said repeated attempts were made to polarise Mira-Bhayandar on religious and linguistic lines. “Over the last three years, there was a clear effort to push the city towards communal tension. Even the Marathi language was dragged into politics last year,” she said.
“Many parties tried to win votes by invoking religion and identity,” she added. “But in ward number 19, that kind of politics did not work. People judged me by my work and by the stand taken by the Congress.”
Overall, the Congress improved its performance in the civic polls, winning 13 corporator seats compared to 12 in the previous election, helping the party avoid a poor showing in the city. Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), backed by state minister Pratap Sir Naik, was restricted to just two seats.
Describing her victory as a responsibility rather than a personal achievement, Rubina Feroze said, “I thank the people of my ward for trusting me again. I will work harder in the new term and address every issue faced by residents.”
During her previous term, she focused on welfare initiatives and local issues, including helping women access government schemes, organising self-defence classes, holding a job fair for unemployed youth, and conducting career guidance programmes for students. She also assisted cancer patients in securing financial aid from the Municipal Corporation.
Residents cited her accessibility as a key factor behind her re-election. “She listens to people and follows up on issues. That is why people from every community voted for her,” a local voter said.
The result is being widely seen as a signal that development-oriented politics and social harmony continue to resonate with voters, even amid a charged political climate.
