In Ward 123, the Sena (UBT)’s prestige ward, Koliwada gaothan issue dominates

This year, despite the looming uncertainty on account of intra-party rebellion, another Worlikar appears confident of emerging victorious in the polls

MUMBAI: Ward number 193, which falls in the constituency of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray, is a prestige ward for the party. Administered for nearly five decades by CPI-M corporator Mani Shankar Kavathe, it was wrested by the undivided Sena in 1996 when the ward’s reservation was changed to Scheduled Tribe, and the party brought in an outside candidate to contest. Helped along by a Koliwada Worli native, shakha pramukh Harish Worlikar, the Sena won the seat and has since had an uninterrupted 30-year run here.

Mumbai, India. Jan 07, 2026 - Hemangi Worlikar, a candidate of the Shiv Sena (UBT) from Ward no 193, visited the Prabhadevi area as part of her BMC election campaign. Mumbai, India. Jan 07, 2026. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo)    (Raju Shinde)

This year, despite the looming uncertainty on account of intra-party rebellion, another Worlikar appears confident of emerging victorious in the polls. Harish’s wife Hemangi Worlikar, who is contesting for the third time, first won when the ward’s reservation was changed to OBC Woman. Hemangi has worked on important civic bodies such as the Education Committee, Standing Committee and Legal Committee and was also elected deputy mayor in 2017.

On January 7, Hemangi made her way through the ward, reaching out to the entire gamut of voters from the high-rises of plush Prabhadevi to the koliwada gaothan or fisherfolk’s ancestral village. She visited housing societies in the upscale Prabha Nagar area and interacted with residents in both Marathi and English. The residents raised several local issues, and she responded to them while continuing her campaign in the area which has a mixed population, including Marathis, North Indians, South Indians and Christians.

At the lower end of the spectrum, Koliwada fisherman Manoj Rane said that Hemangi was well known in the ward and was always available when people needed her. “It’s not just during elections—the Worlikar family has consistently supported us in getting Koliwada’s issues solved,” he said.

Speaking about her work, Hemangi said that she had completed many projects during her earlier terms. “However, over the past three years, administrative rule limited the work that could be done,” she said. “We repeatedly met ward officers and the municipal commissioner with complaints but did not receive satisfactory responses. Issues like cleanliness and water supply remain major concerns, which I aim to address in the coming term.”

The government’s merging of gaothans or Mumbai’s traditional villages with surrounding slums and bringing them under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority is a vital issue in the constituency, one that is being bitterly fought by gaothan residents. “Proper and planned development is needed,” said Hemangi. “With the increasing number of slums around gaothans, there is added pressure on the existing water supply and sanitation infrastructure. I want to focus on these issues and ensure basic facilities for everyone.”

Another Worlikar, this one from the opposite camp, is also focusing on the gaothan issue. Prahlad Worlikar of the Shinde Sena said the demarcation of the Koliwada gaothan was a long-pending issue in the area. “I have already discussed this matter with deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde,” he said. “This and the redevelopment of the entire koliwada and old buildings in my ward will be my priority.”