Wed Nov 27 13:48:47 UTC 2024: ## Adani’s $3 Billion Dharavi Redevelopment Project Safe After BJP-Shiv Sena Win in Maharashtra

**Mumbai, India** – The landslide victory of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra Assembly elections has secured the future of Gautam Adani’s $3 billion Dharavi redevelopment project. The project, which aims to transform Asia’s largest slum into a “world-class” district, had faced significant opposition from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).

The UBT had pledged to cancel the project and reclaim the land allocated to the Adani Group if they came to power. This posed a considerable threat to Adani, who is currently facing bribery allegations in a US court.

The BJP and its allies, including the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena and a faction of the Nationalist Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar, secured over three-quarters of the 288 assembly seats. This decisive win effectively eliminates the threat to the project.

Adani’s plan involves transforming 620 acres of land – roughly three-quarters the size of New York’s Central Park – into a modern urban center. Around 700,000 residents of the densely populated slum, characterized by open sewers and shared toilets, are slated to receive free apartments of up to 350 square feet.

The redevelopment project had become highly politicized, with opposition parties alleging that the Adani Group received undue favoritism from the state government in securing the contract. The Adani Group has denied these allegations. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi repeatedly raised concerns about the project, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of enriching cronies like Adani.

Supporters of the project within the ruling coalition maintain that it represents a potential global model for slum redevelopment. While approximately 1 million people live in Dharavi, eligibility for the new housing is restricted to those residing in the area before January 1, 2000. Those not meeting this criteria will be provided housing elsewhere in the city. The project has faced some local opposition due to concerns about displacement of residents and business owners.

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