India, Jan. 9 -- Stalled Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects, which have left residents languishing in transit camps for decades, have emerged as the dominant issue afflicting Mumbai's Ward 202 comprising Sewri, Bhoiwada and parts of Parel.

The ward has around 50,000 voters, over 78% of whom are Marathi-speaking according to recent party surveys. It is traditionally an impregnable undivided Shiv Sena bastion, but recent resentment against local parties, for allegedly colluding with unscrupulous builders and stalling SRA projects, has significantly altered the electoral landscape.

The simmering discontent isn't just among voters. It has manifested in a split within the Shiv Sena (UBT), with shakha pramukh Vijay Indulkar entering...