Tamil Selvan, the lone Tamil MLA in Maharashtra

BJP candidate from Sion Koliwada during his election campaign.  
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

BJP leader ‘Captain’ R. Tamil Selvan, who secured his third consecutive win from the Sion Koliwada Assembly seat in Mumbai, described this election as the most challenging in his political career. He won by a margin of 7,800 votes, polling over 73,000 against Congress candidate Ganesh Kumar Yadav.

“This was not just a contest of votes but a battle between my 25 years of development work and the Congress party’s money power,” he told Today News 24 on Wednesday (November 27, 2024). “Despite their attempts to buy votesmy work spoke for itself, and I was fortunate to secure the people’s trust for a third term,” he claimed 

Mr. Tamil Selvan alleged that Congress distributed at least ₹2,000 per vote but credited his consistent efforts for his victory.

Mr. Tamil Selvan, who hails from Pilaviduthi village near Karambakudi in Pudukottai of Tamil Nadu, settled in “the city of dreams” by chance in 1978.

His journey began when an agent abandoned him at the airport while he was en route to Dubai. Instead of returning to his village, he chose to stay and work in Mumbai, starting as a labourer at railway stations. Over the time, he became a well-known personality in Dharavi and Sion Koliwada, advocating for Tamilians and other marginalised communities.

Describing Sion Koliwada as a “mini India,” Mr. Tamil Selvan talks about the area’s diverse population, which includes Tamilians, Telugus, Malayalis, Punjabis, and people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. “With over 2.8 lakh voters, this constituency is a true reflection of India’s unity in diversity, and I have the support of everyone,” he said.

The BJP legislator attributed his electoral success to his focus on providing essential services such as drinking water, electricity, roads, drainage, schools, and hospitals. “More than 75% of my constituency is made up of slums. Earlier, they lacked basic amenities, but now, we’ve addressed those issues. We’ve provided water pipeline connections to over 40,000 houses, significantly improving the quality of life,” he explained.

26/11 hero

Reflecting on his experiences during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Mr. Tamil Selvan recalled his role in saving lives.

“I was working as a parcel contractor at CSMT when the attack happened. I prayed to Lord Murugan and, with my staff, helped rush 36 injured passengers to St. George’s Hospital using a parcel handcart,” he said, adding that he even saw Ajmal Kasab during the incident. He was later honoured by the Maharashtra Governor and received a citation from the Railways for his bravery.

Mr. Tamil Selvan’s political journey began in 2011 when he was elected as a corporator in the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), becoming one of the two Tamil corporators in the civic body. “Recognising my work, the BJP fielded me as a candidate for the Sion Koliwada seat in 2014, making me the only Tamil MLA in Maharashtra,” he said.