January 7, 2026: Dharavi, with a population of 1.5 million spread across wards 183 to 189 and an electorate of around 2,35,000 voters, is once again a politically charged constituency ahead of the Mumbai civic polls. Central to this year’s campaign is Ward 185, home to roughly 40,000 voters, where all three major parties are locked in a direct contest. Internal surveys indicate the electorate comprises 26% South Indian, 23% Marathi, 16% North Indian and Muslim, and 15% Gujarati voters. Traditionally a Congress stronghold, Ward 185 was won by T M Jagdish of the undivided Shiv Sena in 2017, while the BJP has never registered a win here.
The ward includes Kumbharwada, a 150-year-old potters’ colony, where residents demand exclusion from the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and in-situ rehabilitation. Candidates across party lines are assuring residents that their demands will be addressed.
Veteran corporator Ravi Raja, former leader of the opposition in the BMC, has been campaigning door-to-door. “The DRP is for slums, but they have big houses and are more concerned with the pottery industry,” he said. “I have assured them that we will try to carve out 12.5 acres from the DRP and see how best they can be rehabilitated there.”
Raja launched a sharp critique of Congress leaders Eknath Gaikwad and his daughter Varsha, stating: “The Gaikwad family has ruined this area for 52 years…They never wanted Dharavi to redevelop because they wanted people to languish in slums. The people of Dharavi will take a conscious decision to opt for the BJP and make history in all wards.” While Raja promised no tenant displacement, scepticism remains. Sheshova Shekhar, a 70-year resident of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, questioned the adequacy of one-room rehabilitation units.
Vanita Kanjiwala, 55, expressed hope for in-situ rehab, saying, “We will vote for the BJP…We have been promised in-situ rehab and are confident the ruling dispensation will do something for us.” The DRP also raises concerns about land taxes, designated pottery spaces, and preserving Dharavi’s commercial ecosystem, which contributes roughly ₹100 crore in exports.
Former corporator T M Jagdish, Congress candidate Kamlesh Chitroda, and AAP’s Paul Rapheal reiterated that redevelopment, in-situ rehabilitation, and support for local industries remain the primary issues shaping voter sentiment in Ward 185.
