For millions of Indians, it\u2019s the city where dreams come true \u2013 just look around. <\/p>\n
From the gleaming home of Asia\u2019s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, towering over \u201cBillionaires\u2019 Row,\u201d to the waterfront mansions of Bollywood stars, Mumbai is the place where ambitions are realized. <\/p>\n
But as India\u2019s financial capital prepares to vote in the country\u2019s massive general election, many residents say they want a fairer share of its wealth \u2013 with better education the key to opportunity. <\/p>\n
In the densely packed Dadar neighborhood, hustlers and dreamers alike spill out of train stations and shopping complexes, a whirl of humanity weaving through congested streets where market traders tout for business. <\/p>\n
Next to piles of potatoes and onions, 34-year-old grocer Sachin Chaudhary cites rising prices and a tough job market as his biggest concerns ahead of the city\u2019s first voting phase later in May. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe change I want to see is, things should become less costly,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd children are getting good educations, so there should also be better opportunities in the employment sector.\u201d <\/p>\n
As India\u2019s wealthiest city, Mumbai is often likened to New York \u2013 a place of opportunity where everyone is from somewhere else, hoping to make it big and support their families, often in poorer rural hometowns. <\/p>\n
But amid the glitz and glam, India\u2019s other half is just as evident. Near tourist hotspots like the iconic Gateway of India, day laborers toil in the stifling heat, carrying heavy loads on their shoulders or selling knickknacks on the side of dusty roads. <\/p>\n
The disparity concerns Rajani Bhat, a 42-year-old Mumbai resident with short, spiky hair and an assertive voice. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m worried about the protection of women, especially small girls,\u201d she says from a street dotted with jewelry and clothes stores. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey are selling dustbin bags, they are doing multiple (jobs), but what about their education? They have parents, but the thing is they (don\u2019t have the right) financial conditions,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cSomebody should do something for them.\u201d <\/p>\n
Many poor children in the city are not even 10 years old when they start helping their parents to earn a living. It\u2019s especially common in Mumbai\u2019s infamous slums, which were depicted in the 2008 Oscar-winning film \u201cSlumdog Millionaire.\u201d <\/p>\n
Kalpita Shinde, a 43-year-old government worker, also highlights the need for India\u2019s next government to provide its people with greater upward mobility. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll should have employment, and the jobs should be on par with the better education opportunities we have,\u201d she says. \u201cIf people have good jobs, then it\u2019s not just the individual who grows. The whole family also grows and leads a better life.\u201d <\/p>\n
Banker Helen D\u2019Souza, 60, agreed with that sentiment. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s a lot to be done in this country, as regards (to) the middle class,\u201d she said over the thrum of Dadar\u2019s traffic. \u201cA lot of people are unhappy \u2026 When you don\u2019t get something, you lose trust.\u201d <\/p>\n
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are widely expected to win a third straight five-year term this election, extending his popular but controversial rule into a second decade. <\/p>\n
That dominance is reflected in the sheer amount of BJP campaign material displayed across the city, with scant signs of India\u2019s opposition. Modi\u2019s face beams from billboards and hangs off bridges, posters listing his achievements and election promises. <\/p>\n