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    <Journal>
      <PublisherName>ejsss</PublisherName>
      <JournalTitle>ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES</JournalTitle>
      <PISSN/>
      <EISSN/>
      <Volume-Issue>Volume 7 Special Issue 1</Volume-Issue>
      <PartNumber/>
      <IssueTopic>Multidisciplinary</IssueTopic>
      <IssueLanguage>English</IssueLanguage>
      <Season>July 2026</Season>
      <SpecialIssue>N</SpecialIssue>
      <SupplementaryIssue>N</SupplementaryIssue>
      <IssueOA>Y</IssueOA>
      <PubDate>
        <Year>2026</Year>
        <Month>07</Month>
        <Day>31</Day>
      </PubDate>
      <ArticleType>Sociology</ArticleType>
      <ArticleTitle>Beyond Caste: Determinants of Urban Voting Behaviour in Mumbai</ArticleTitle>
      <SubTitle/>
      <ArticleLanguage>English</ArticleLanguage>
      <ArticleOA>Y</ArticleOA>
      <FirstPage>7</FirstPage>
      <LastPage>35</LastPage>
      <AuthorList>
        <Author>
          <FirstName>Deepalaxmi</FirstName>
          <LastName>Pillai</LastName>
          <AuthorLanguage>English</AuthorLanguage>
          <Affiliation/>
          <CorrespondingAuthor>N</CorrespondingAuthor>
          <ORCID/>
        </Author>
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      <DOI>10.47362/EJSSS.2026.SP7101</DOI>
      <Abstract>Abstract Urban electoral behaviour in India has traditionally been understood through the lens of caste-based political mobilization. However, rapid urbanization, expanding welfare programmes, and increasing exposure to mass media and political campaigns are reshaping how urban voters evaluate political choices. In metropolitan contexts such as Mumbai - characterized by high social mobility, occupational diversity, and intense political competition the relevance of caste as the primary determinant of voting behaviour warrants closer examination. This study investigates the factors shaping urban voting behaviour in Mumbai, with a particular focus on influences beyond caste. It examines the role of governance performance, welfare delivery, leadership, religious narratives, and everyday urban concerns such as housing, infrastructure, employment, and public services in shaping electoral decision-making. Based on primary qualitative fieldwork, the study captures how voters themselves interpret and justify their political choices. The findings suggest that while caste remains embedded in the broader political structure, its direct influence on urban voting behaviour is limited. Instead, development-oriented concerns emerge as the dominant determinant, alongside context-specific identity factors such as religion and regional belonging. The study contributes to ongoing debates on the evolving nature of political mobilization in urban India by demonstrating a shift from caste-centric to multi-dimensional voting behaviour in metropolitan contexts.</Abstract>
      <AbstractLanguage>English</AbstractLanguage>
      <Keywords>Urban voting behaviour; Caste and politics; Electoral behaviour; Urban governance; Mumbai; Identity politics</Keywords>
      <URLs>
        <Abstract>https://ejsss.net.in/ubijournal-v1copy/journals/abstract.php?article_id=16307&amp;title=Beyond Caste: Determinants of Urban Voting Behaviour in Mumbai</Abstract>
      </URLs>
      <References>
        <ReferencesarticleTitle>References</ReferencesarticleTitle>
        <ReferencesfirstPage>16</ReferencesfirstPage>
        <ReferenceslastPage>19</ReferenceslastPage>
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      </References>
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