'Won't let Mumbai be turned into Adani city': Uddhav Thackeray vows to cancel Dharavi project if voted to power

Uddhav Thackeray, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, vowed on Saturday to cancel the Dharavi slum redevelopment project tender awarded to Gautam Adani's firm if his party assumes control in Maharashtra.

At a press conference, Thackeray declared his party's commitment to ensuring Dharavi residents and businesses are not displaced. "People living there must be given 500 square feet houses within the locality," he insisted.

He questioned the current government, demanding reasons for not scrapping the project immediately. "We will not allow Mumbai to be turned into Adani city," the former chief minister stated.

Thackeray claimed that the Adani Group is receiving unspecified additional concessions for redeveloping Dharavi, one of the world's most densely populated areas. "We will not grant extra concessions. We'll prioritize what's best for Dharavi's residents and issue a fresh tender if necessary," he asserted.

Criticizing the government further, Thackeray mocked the idea of a potential 'Ladka Mitra' scheme, akin to the 'Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana,' which provides a meager Rs 1,500 per month to women.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Dharavi redevelopment project became a significant issue for the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress. The Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Anil Desai gained a lead of 36,857 votes against sitting MP Rahul Shewale from the Dharavi assembly segment, ultimately defeating Shewale by 53,384 votes.

Thackeray also accused the government of numbering every home to trap Dharavi residents in eligibility disputes, aiming to drive them out. He revealed that the government is trying to acquire land under the slum rehabilitation scheme for rehousing Dharavi residents and has started procuring 20 such plots in the city intended for infrastructure or development projects.

"This will imbalance the city, as relocating residents will strain existing infrastructure," Thackeray noted.

The Dharavi project, reportedly with a revenue potential of Rs 20,000 crore, aims to rebuild the vast slum in central Mumbai, near the BKC business district. The tender was awarded to Adani Properties in November 2022 after a competitive bid involving realty giants DLF and Naman Developers.