Maharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai commuters threaten poll boycott after inaction after fatal train accident

Commuters have been facing large crowds at railway stations

Railway passenger associations on Saturday said they have decided to appeal to the public to boycott the upcoming Maharashtra elections as no elected representative was taking up issues of suburban commuters.

Nandkumar Deshmukh, president of the Federation of Suburban Passengers' Association, said, "Suburban commute in Mumbai has been getting tougher by the day, and protests and agitations for our rights have resulted in us facing legal cases. No politician or elected representative intervenes to solve the issues or help us when we face cases."

Deshmukh highlighted the recent death of a 28-year-old woman Rutuja Ganesh Jangam, who allegedly succumbed after falling from an overcrowded Karjat local train on Tuesday night. "The commute beyond Kalyan is deadly. Due to the lack of foresight by our government, suburban commuters have to risk their lives on a daily basis during their commute due to the dense crush on local trains. The government has remained a mute spectator, not taking any action," he said.

"Elected representatives should demand an independent transport authority for Mumbai, to streamline projects. Politicians who have delayed city rail projects will not be spared this time," said Siddhesh Desai, vice president of the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh, one of the oldest and biggest passenger associations.