Residents in Tamil-dominant areas in Mumbai to vote based on candidates, who can relate with their issues

“We have decided to vote depending on who the candidate is and not the party,” says Ekot Nadar (55), who has been residing in Mumbai’s Malad West area, ward number 35 from last 40 years, came from Tirunelveli town, Tamil Nadu. 

Ekot is among the 60,000 voters approx in ward 35 (Valnai chowk area), who will be exercising his voting rights in the upcoming municipal corporation elections scheduled on January 15. “It is always good to elect a candidate, who lives in the area as the person can relate with our issues in a better way,” Ekot says, standing in the saffron crowd who came to see K. Annamalai, the vice president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Tamil Nadu. Mr. Annalamai came to campaign for the BJP candidate Yogesh Verma and others contesting in South Indian-dominated regions. 

Another resident of Valnai colony, Sulekha (35), who was sitting near her house in one of the narrow lanes, which were vibrant with lotus symbols overlapping with the Congress hand, each claiming the same voters, points out “all are same, just have to see, who is better”. Sulekha is also a beneficiary of the Ladki Bahin scheme but was also of opinion that it is just some sort of “bribe”. 

In one of the lanes, sitting outside an Ayippa temple, Selvaraj Shetty says, “The big issues of vote chori has little impact but what matters is corporators availability to run for us.” 

Several other residents raised the issue of erratic water supply, clogged drainage, and traffic congestions. Ward 35 has over 12% population of Tamilians, Gujarati, 38%, Marathi, 21%, and 10% of North Indians as per the internal party surveys. Mumbai’s several other regions, including Charkop, and Dharavi has a sizeable South Indian population, which also holds fair share in deciding the winning candidate in several wards of municipal corporation.

On contrast to Sulekha, Kalpana (46), a Dharavi resident, originally from Thoothukudi town, Tamil Nadu, has clarity on whom to vote. “We want redevelopment of Dharavi and whichever party does that, l will vote,” she says, who is from the ward 185 comprising the 150 year old Kumbharwada and the leather industry. 

Malad west and Dharavi traditionally have been the stronghold of Congress. In Dharavi, the battle is between Congress candidate Kamlesh Chitroda, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate T.M. Jagdish, and BJP candidate Ravi Raja, the former leader of the opposition in the BMC and veteran corporator.  

The ward 185 has about 26% South Indian voters, 23% Marathi voters, 16% North Indian voters, and 15% Gujarati voters, as per the internal party survey. 

The primary issue is concerning the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), where the residents has been opposing Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) with fear of being seen as ineligible and over lack of rehabilitation plans for small industries, demanding government to reconsider the proposal. The candidates across the parties have been assuring them to resolve their issues. 

Another resident, Kanan (45), originally from Tirumalai, Tamil Nadu, has been residing in Dharavi for last 20 years, says, “I have a family of eight and I run a small business in the same tiny room. They will give me one room of 300 sq ft, will that be enough,” he asks.   

Kanan’s friend, who did not wish to be named, says, “Since this project has come, there has always been some issues. They said that the annual vacant land tax (VLT) of ₹5 to the BMC had been cancelled.” 

Published – January 09, 2026 10:46 am IST