A demolition drive started by E Ravindran, commissioner of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), has gained considerable public support in Kalyan, but has not found similar backing from politicians.

In fact, the drive — which aims to decongest traffic at Shivaji Chowk — is taking on the rich and powerful. Among the 400 shops that are being razed there are those that belong to State Housing Minister Prakash Mehta’s cousin, along with Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Jadhav’s office.