Dharavi votes against ‘imposed’ redevelopment

Of the seven electoral wards in the sprawling slum settlement, four have been won by Shiv Sena (UBT) candidates, two by the Congress, and one by the Shiv Sena, an ally in the BJP-led Mahayuti government

MUMBAI: For the slum residents of Dharavi, this election was personal. With a large number of them facing relocation to the edges of Mumbai as part of the mega-redevelopment plan being rolled out, residents have given the ruling parties, especially the BJP, a decisive thumbs-down.

Mumbai, India. Jan 16, 2026 - Congress candidate Asha Kale, from ward no 183, Dharavi, won the BMC general election 2025-2026. Mumbai, India. Jan 16, 2026. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

Of the seven electoral wards in the sprawling slum settlement, four have been won by Shiv Sena (UBT) candidates, two by the Congress, and one by the Shiv Sena, an ally in the BJP-led Mahayuti government.

Residents HT spoke to after the results were declared on Friday were unanimous: they had voted against a redevelopment plan “imposed on them”, one in which they had no say.

The BJP-Shiv Sena, which contested the civic polls as an alliance, fielded candidates in all seven wards – the BJP four and Sena three. Despite its aggressive campaign, the BJP failed to open its account. The Shiv Sena’s lone seat here went to sitting corporator Bhaskar Shetty (ward 188).

Sena (UBT) winners are TM Jagdish, Archana Shinde, Joseph Koli and Harshala More, while the Congress candidates won two seats – Asha Kale and Sajida Babbu Khan.

In this election, a total 83 candidates contested across these seven wards. The contest saw candidates from several political parties, including the BJP, Congress, Sena, Sena (UBT), MNS and AIMIM. According to official data, voter turnout was 65%, well above the overall turnout, with nearly 1,38,099 voters exercising their franchise, underlining the importance of the election here.

Social worker Sanjay Bhalerao, who has been working in the health and education sectors in Dharavi for several years, said the election verdict is a response to the redevelopment plan. “This is a decisive vote against the present form of the Dharavi redevelopment project,” Bhalerao said. We are not opposed to development itself but against forced development. The people want a redevelopment process where every Dharavi resident is relocated within Dharavi.”

Bhalerao said the assurances given by winning candidates played a key role in influencing voters. “People voted with the expectation that no one will be moved out of Dharavi,” he said.

On the Sena’s lone victory in Bhaskar Shetty (ward 188), Bhalerao said the win was largely due to his personal rapport with voters, not his party affiliation. “Bhaskar Shetty was earlier with the Congress and later joined the Sena. Over time, he has built a personal connection with the people, as a businessman and as a corporator, who is accessible.

Residents echoed similar sentiments. Shankar Dabhade, a resident of Kumbharwada (the potters’ colony) in Dharavi, said voters were unhappy with an “imposed redevelopment plan”. “We were against candidates imposed on us, especially outsiders to Dharavi. We are also not happy with the redevelopment project forced on us by the government,” Dabhade said.

He said the election results reflected people’s dissatisfaction. “Now we hope the government will understand our feelings and give us a fair redevelopment plan.”

From Ward 184, former corporator Babbu Khan described the verdict as a rejection of what he termed a “wrong development formula” for Dharavi. “This results clearly show that people are unhappy with the way redevelopment is being planned,” Khan said. His wife, Congress candidate Sajidabi Babbu Khan, has won from ward 184, underlining the family’s strong local support.

“We are not against development, but we need development according to our requirements. We hope that after these results, the government will listen to the voice of Dharavi and act accordingly,” he said.

Sena (UBT) winner Harshala More, who won from ward 189 by defeating BJP candidate Mangala Gaikwad, said the mandate is in favour of protecting the rights of Dharavi residents. “We are happy that Dharavi has chosen representatives who will stand with the people,” More said.

“Not a single person will be shifted out of Dharavi during the redevelopment process. We will demand that the government consider the C2 redevelopment model for all Dharavi residents,” she added.