BMC Elections 2026: Congress Pitches BIG BEST Services Revival Manifesto, Launches 9-Point Action Plan
We are just 10 days away from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, aka BMC Elections 2026, and the political parties are laying forward their promises for the city’s development. On Sunday, Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) released their joint manifesto. On the other hand, the Indian National Congress (INC) decided to focus on the BEST buses in their manifesto.
Congress’ 9-Pointer Plan
The Congress called the document ‘BEST Revival: 9-Point Action Plan’, and the theme is cited as ‘Mission BEST Bachao’. Under this manifesto, the INC stated that BEST is an essential public service and not just a profit-orientated entity. The party assured that they will restore it as a completely public, reliable and passenger-friendly transport system. The party blamed the current system with which it performs and the private contractors for the BEST’s poor performance.
No Increase in Fare
Furthermore, ahead of the BMC 2026 election, Congress reiterated that the BMC budget must cover all the operating costs of BEST. They also stated that the budget should include additional revenue from parking fees and municipal charges. One major concern the people of Mumbai have raised is the rising prices of the BEST bus tickets. Congress mentioned that the bus fares should not be increased unless there is a public consultation. The party suggested that for any such decisions, inputs should be taken by an independent expert committee.
One major point Congress highlighted in its BMC 2026 election manifesto is the privatisation of BEST services. The party made a promise to put a stop to all new wet-lease and private contracts concerning the BEST services. They will be bringing operations, maintenance, and the staffing completely under BEST’s direct control and have said they will achieve the same in three years.
More BEST Buses On The Road
Another major issue Congress highlighted is the number of buses in the city. The party want to adhere to the previous agreement they made and add over 3,000 buses, including both electric and CNG models, to the streets of the city. They will also recruit drivers, conductors and mechanics and also plan to add over 6,000 buses, especially in slums and industrial areas. In 2017, long-distance and cross-city routes were discontinued, and the party claimed that they will restore those services. The decision will be amplified with the addition of new routes in the east-west and across harbour lines.
One major point highlighted by the INC in their BEST Revival: 9-Point Action Plan is to stop the sale or commercial use of BEST depot lands. The 9-Point Action Plan is stopping the sale or commercial use of BEST depot lands. The party will ensure the exclusive use of these depots for transport-related purposes and conduct an audit of past land deals. The plan also calls for passenger safety, with a public portal showing breakdowns, fires, and complaints related to the best services. Daily inspection of buses will be conducted, and regular fire safety checks will be done for electric buses.
Worker Welfare
Furthermore, they will immediately terminate unsafe contracts. The manifesto also highlights the importance of worker welfare and rights with promises of better pay and conditions and will end the “driver-only” model and bring back conductors. There will be minimum wages and fixed hours scheduled and assigned for the workers, and medical insurance will also come into play. For electric bus maintenance, they will set up training centres.
With Mumbai’s BEST service being the city’s most crucial link after local trains, Congress appears keen on positioning it at the centre of its civic agenda. It would be fascinating to see how the public responds and how much of this ambitious revival plan actually translates into on-ground delivery.
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