MUMBAI, Jan. 11 -- "We have been facing a water shortage for the last 60 years," said 80-year-old Sucheta Pathankar. "It has become worse after high-rise towers came up in this area. We need a clear assurance that the water problem in our chawl will be solved." Like her, many residents of old chawls in Dadar are hoping that the protracted water issue will finally be addressed. Ward 192, which includes Gokhale Road, the Dadar station area, N C Kelkar Marg and the Shiv Sena Bhavan stretch, has been a stronghold of the undivided Shiv Sena for nearly two decades. The ward came into focus even before candidates were officially declared, as political developments created tension and debate among party workers. After the seat was allotted to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), disgruntled Sena (UBT) workers rebelled. Prakash Patankar and former corporator Priti Patankar, who was elected from the ward in 2017, moved to Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Priti secured a ticket for the same ward. This decision upset local leaders of the Shinde Sena, who openly raised concerns over the candidature. The MNS, meanwhile, announced the candidature of Yashwant Killedar, a student leader known for working on youth employment and the promotion of Marathi entrepreneurs through the party's Vyapari Peth movement. Following the announcement, three-time MNS corporator Snehal Jadhav resigned, saying she was not consulted on this. With these developments, the campaigning in the ward has intensified, with both Killedar and Patankar reaching out personally to voters. "The ward has a mixed population, including chawls, small buildings and high-rises, and my aim is to represent all sections," said Killedar. "Door-to-door visits are helping me understand the real problems that residents face." Killedar said he was shocked to learn that many chawl residents still had no proper water supply and that women struggled daily for this. "Solving this issue will be my first priority if elected," he said. The student leader also raised concerns about education, saying that while the BMC did run schools, they did not provide quality education to middle-class families. Patankar also assured voters that the water issue would be resolved soon. He said that approval had been granted for the old six-inch internal pipelines to be replaced with nine-inch ones, which would improve water pressure and supply. Redevelopment of old chawls is another major issue in the ward. Patankar said that at least six redevelopment projects had been stalled, forcing residents to live away for eight to ten years. He promised to complete these projects and focus on quality redevelopment. Killedar aired similar views, saying that redevelopment should ensure a proper home for every resident. Hawkers, especially around Dadar station, are also a key concern. Killedar said that unauthorised hawkers were affecting the livelihood of licensed ones, and the issue needed urgent attention. Patankar said he would follow court orders banning hawkers within 100 metres of railway stations and look at providing dedicated spaces for them. Prakash Bagawe, a 62-year-old voter, said that while issues were important, the reunion of the Thackeray brothers was even more so for Marathi voters....