Maharashtra polls: In Sion Koliwada, candidates focus on slum redevelopment, water supply

Many upper-middle-class residents believe that political leaders across party lines have consistently neglected the concerns of people living outside slums

Mumbai: With days to go before the Maharashtra assembly elections, residents of housing societies in the Sion Koliwada assembly constituency are unhappy with local politicians over several unresolved issues, such as illegal hawking, insufficient parking, and road encroachments. Many upper-middle-class residents believe that political leaders across party lines have consistently neglected the concerns of people living outside slums.

BJP’s Captain R Tamil Selvan is gunning for this third straight term as MLA.    (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

Payal Shah, convener of the United Societies of Sion, said the biggest challenge is the lack of redevelopment. “Real estate prices in the area are continuously declining due to poor infrastructure, which has made builders hesitant to take on projects here, even as they proceed in nearby constituencies. As a result, numerous buildings remain stuck in redevelopment limbo. We hope our political leaders will finally address these pressing concerns.”

Established in 2008, the Sion Koliwada constituency encompasses neighbourhoods like Pratiksha Nagar, Barkat Ali Road, Bhakti Park, Antop Hill, and Sion Koliwada. In election season, the candidates are focusing on the slum areas, which make up a significant portion of the constituency, making promises related to water supply, drainage, and redevelopment.

With 281,299 registered voters, Sion Koliwada has been represented by Captain R Tamil Selvan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2014.

Aiming for a third consecutive term, Selvan is credited with notable initiatives, such as dismantling water mafias in slum areas by providing 40,000 direct water connections and securing ₹20 crore in compensation for households affected by stalled slum rehabilitation projects.

“My focus is to provide more and more benefits to my voters. I tried to solve many government works of the voters by inviting officers to my office. Solving SRA issues and redeveloping the slums will be my priority in the future,” Selvan said. He has also taken up the educational expenses of 1,500 single-parent students and promoted enrollment in the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme to ensure free treatment for residents. Selvan’s alliance with former Congress leader Ravi Raja, now a BJP member, has further strengthened his chances of securing a third term.

His main opponent, the Congress’s Ganesh Yadav, who lost to him in the previous election, claimed that Tamil Selvan had not done any work with visible results. “Despite substantial MLA funds, no visible progress has been made. Slum rehabilitation projects are stuck,” he said. Yadav also highlighted the persistent lack of basic amenities, such as water supply, functional metres, and proper drainage systems, in many parts of the constituency.

Demographically, the constituency includes approximately 90,000 Marathi-speaking voters, 68,000 north Indians, 56,000 Muslims, 42,000 south Indians, and a mix of Punjabi, Gujarati, and Jain communities. This diversity adds complexity to the election dynamics, with each party vying for influence across various groups.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate, Sanjay Bhogle, has drawn attention to unresolved encroachments in areas like Panchashil Nagar, which lies above the Tansa pipeline.

“Despite these legal and infrastructural challenges, no major decisions have been made to provide alternative housing solutions for the area,” he said. Criticising the incumbent Selvan, he added, “The sitting MLA is busy distributing freebies and painting buildings instead of solving the real issues of the residents.”