MUMBAI, Jan. 14 -- For residents of Mulund east's Ward 106, the proposed rehabilitation of project-affected persons (PAPs) from Dharavi and other mass redevelopment projects has taken centre-stage. Large tracts of salt pan land will be used to house PAPs, in addition to BMC land, where 4,200 apartments have already been constructed. How will civic infrastructure cope with the massive influx? The concern feeds into wider complaints of civic apathy, erratic water supply in several pockets, crumbling roads, high-rise buildings without amenities, and limited public healthcare facilities. Politically, this was a Shiv Sena stronghold until 2012, when seasoned politician Prabhakar Shinde, 65, switched to the BJP and won. Since then, Mulund east has largely remained a BJP bastion. This time, Shinde is facing MNS-Shiv Sena (UBT) alliance candidate Satyawan Dalvi, 58, who has contested many elections and claims he lost the last one by just 330 votes. On the ground, voter sentiment appears mixed. On Tuesday, Shinde was canvassed the ward, just hours after Dalvi toured the same areas, choosing informal interactions and small group conversations at bus stops and residential pockets. Shinde has spent ten days going door-to-door, from high-rise societies to older settlements and gaothan pockets. He also greeted residents in markets, gardens and housing societies, where demands vary sharply between planned and inner localities. Speaking in Marathi to a largely Maharashtrian and North Indian population, Shinde dismissed fears around Dharavi PAP rehabilitation as "rumours". He said, "When I started in 1997, this area had mostly gaothans and small settlements. Today, development has taken full form." Focusing on civic issues, he added, "Water issues and roads need attention. I have remained available even after my term ended in 2022, and will continue to do so." Dalvi, however, placed PAP rehabilitation at the centre of his campaign. "Relocating project-affected people here will put immense pressure on basic infrastructure. We have consistently protested the rehabilitation of Dharavi PAPs on salt pan land and the diversion of public land," he said. With no Congress candidate in the fray, Dalvi said he is confident of consolidating Sena (UBT), MNS, and Congress votes. Ashok More, a local, said, "When civic issues cannot be solved with the current population, how will it work with the PAP population being shifted here? We will vote for whoever focuses on this and provides us with basic amenities." Another resident, Mahesh Sadhwani, said pollution remains unresolved despite regular cleaning. "We will support whoever actually solves this," he said....