When the newly elected Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) meets after a gap of four years, the eight All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) corporators will be led by 33-year-old Vijay Ubale, an unlikely leader for a party widely perceived as drawing its support primarily from Muslim voters and championing minority rights.
Ubale’s rise is as surprising as his association with AIMIM. Coming from a humble background and with limited financial resources, he won in ward 140, one of Mumbai’s poorest localities in the Mankhurd and eastern Chembur belt, largely thanks to the goodwill he built over the years by teaching children and offering home tuition in the area.
Ward 140, located in the M-East district of Govandi, is among the most densely populated pockets of Mumbai. It includes Gautam Nagar, Niloni Nagar, Tata Nagar, Deonar slaughterhouse area and parts of Shivaji Nagar. Nearly 70 percent of the neighborhood comprises informal housing and slums near the Deonar landfill site.
In the 2026 municipal elections, the Owaisi-led AIMIM made significant gains across Maharashtra, winning 126 seats across the state, of which six were non-Muslim corporators. In Mumbai, the party’s numbers rose sharply to eight seats from just two in 2017. Of the eight AIMIM corporators in Mumbai, seven are Muslims; Ubale, a Buddhist, is the only exception.
Ubale declared total assets of Rs 1.5 lakh and an annual family income of around Rs 2.5 lakh. His affidavit lists six bank accounts: three with zero balance and the others with Rs 4, 464 and Rs 2,265 respectively. Party workers said their campaign was largely sustained by the support of friends, alumni and local AIMIM cadres.
The contest in hall 140 was closely followed. Prajyoti Handore, daughter of Rajya Sabha MP Chandrakant Handore, was considered a strong contender but finished fifth. Candidates from Shiv Sena (Shiv Sena faction) and Shiv Sena (UBT) came second and third respectively, while NCP candidate (Ajit Pawar faction) also failed to make it to the top five. Ubale was the winner, obtaining 4,945 votes and defeating the second place by 1,523 votes.
Born and brought up in Govandi, Ubale completed Class 10 from Dnyansadhana Vidyalaya, Govandi, passed his HSC from Siddharth College, Fort, and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from KJ Somaiya College in 2013.
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The son of an autorickshaw driver, he began teaching mathematics during his college years, charging between Rs 150 and Rs 200 for two-hour sessions. “Word spread among Govandi, Mankhurd and Vashi, and I started getting steady work in local coaching classes,” he said. “The income helped support my parents and younger siblings.” One of the brothers now works as a junior engineer at BARC Hospital, while the younger one is still studying.
“My family lives in a 150-square-foot detached house bought by my grandfather three decades ago. I live on the ground floor with my parents and siblings, while my uncle’s family lives on the mezzanine,” Ubale said.
Popular among students as “Vijay Sir”, he teaches mathematics in Govandi, Mankhurd and Vashi. Although several Ambedkarite parties, including different factions of the Republican Party of India, have a presence in the locality, Ubale gravitated towards AIMIM. “His commitment to the Constitution and his stand against injustice is what attracted me to Asaduddin Owaisi,” he said. He was appointed joint secretary of the party’s Mankhurd taluka unit three years ago.
The good performance of his friend Ateeque Khan, who finished second on an AIMIM ticket in the 2024 Assembly elections from Mankhurd, gave the party confidence to expand in the area. Since ward 140 was reserved for the scheduled castes, Khan convinced Ubale to contest. “I never thought I would fight in an election,” Ubale said. “But his encouragement and the support of party workers, friends and family convinced me.”
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His campaign relied heavily on alumni and their families. “For more than 10 years, I have taught mathematics to more than 8,000 students in Govandi, Mankhurd and Vashi. Many of them, now voters, accompanied me door to door,” he said.
AIMIM workers also credited a rally led by party chief Asaduddin Owaisi just before the elections for mobilizing young voters and helping the party break the Samajwadi Party’s hold on the area.
Ubale defeated 15 candidates, including nominees from Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress. He contested from ward 140 despite residing in ward 136 after it was declared reserved for scheduled castes. “Members of all communities have voted for me,” he said.
Ubale, who rejects politics based on caste or religion, said his priorities would be governance and development. “We follow the thoughts of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Constitution,” he said.
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Its immediate goals include making the neighborhood drug-free, ensuring transparency in the use of civic funds, improving drainage and roads, developing parks and playgrounds, and pushing for the creation of more high schools and universities.
Now appointed leader of the AIMIM group in the BMC, Ubale appears overwhelmed as he travels between party offices completing paperwork ahead of the House session.
“I teach students to become good citizens. I will do the same in politics. When good people enter politics, corruption will automatically reduce,” he said.