India, Jan. 7 -- With an electorate of around 2,35,000 voters in its 1.5-million population spread across wards 183 to 189, Dharavi remains one of Mumbai's most politically significant constituencies. Dominating the electoral battle this time is the 40,000-voter-strong Ward 185, where all three mainstream parties are locked in a direct contest. According to internal party surveys, the ward's electorate comprises about 26% South Indian voters, 23% Marathi voters, 16% North Indian and Muslim voters, and 15% Gujarati voters.

Traditionally a Congress stronghold, Ward 185 was wrested by T M Jagdish of the undivided Shiv Sena in the 2017 civic polls, while the BJP has never managed to register a win here. The ward encompasses Kumbharwada, the ...