Earlier this month, a video circulated of business bigwig Mukesh Ambani endorsing the candidature of the Congress’s Milind Deora for Mumbai South constituency. The video had an unexpected consequence: Pankaj Seth, a businessman from the famous Zaveri Bazaar in Mumbai, sold all his shares of Reliance Industries as he was irked over Ambani’s support of a Congress candidate over the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Mumbai South is a bastion for the city’s rich and powerful. Going to the polls on April 29, the seat is currently held by Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant. Ambani’s video left plenty of people from the trader community perplexed. Seth, whose forefathers have done business at Shaikh Menon Street in Zaveri Bazaar since 1910, says Ambani’s video goes against the support he’s received from the Modi government for years.

“Businessmen in this area got confused, especially when even businessmen like Uday Kotak subsequently made statements in support of Milind Deora,” he explains. “I’m unable to understand why Ambani is supporting a Congress candidate when the Modi government has done so much for Ambani. In Mumbai South, a large section of voters are Gujarati and Marwadi.”

But Seth emphasises that despite the “confusion”, as he puts it, he thinks people should vote to support a party in the Centre, and not focus on the work of a local MP. He’s also scornful when asked if GST and demonetisation affected the business of the area’s traders and jewellers. “Those doing unfair practices in their business: they have been affected by GST and demonetisation. People who are transparent about their business accounts are absolutely fine with GST. In fact, it is going to help future generations of businessmen community.”

In the same area, businessman Sanjay Seth, who has a utensils business, says Milind Deora is the better candidate but a vote for him will not vote Narendra Modi to power. “We want Modi. We are definitely not going to vote for the Congress, who is taking the help of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. The MNS makes humiliating statements against us.”

Seth says Deora’s endorsement by Ambani and Kotak will not sway their decision to vote in favour of Modi. “I know Milind personally and always used to vote for his father, but now the scenario is different. We need a good leader in Delhi and have to vote accordingly.” Milind’s father Murli Deora held the seat from 1984 to 1991.

The sentiment echoes through the streets of Zaveri Bazaar. A 65-year-old jeweller on condition of anonymity says, “Ambani took full advantage of Modi for his businesses. And now he is praising a Congress candidate, promoting Deora despite knowing it’s an important seat. And every seat is important to get Modi in power.”

He adds: “I would like to tell you that Modi will win more than 300 seats as per the Phalodi Satta Market, which is one of the biggest satta markets in India.” Phalodi Satta Market is a famous tradition here, started by businessmen from Phalodi in Rajasthan. It predicts the seats that each party will win during every election.

Yet the owner of a premium jewellery store here says on condition of anonymity: “The Ambanis have 50 years of relationship with the Deora family, that’s why he made this statement. He gave his personal view, but he didn’t ask anyone to vote for Deora.”

Rasik Shah, a 58-year-old wholesaler of utensils on Panjarapole Road in Mumbai’s Bhuleshwar, asked this reporter his religion, saying: “You’re a Hindu. Don’t you think the BJP should come to power? If we want to protect our honour, it’s very important that we vote for the BJP. The Congress has not worked for our development in over six decades. What will they do now?”

Newslaundry asked him about the effect of GST on his business. He said, “It’s the duty of a businessman to pay tax on his earnings to the country. People who were doing business dishonestly are the ones affected by GST. But now things are coming on track. It’s going to be beneficial for us.”

The business community seems to speak in one voice; most people Newslaundry spoke to are firmly in the BJP camp. Forty-five-year-old Jeevan Kothari, who runs an electronics business in Bhuleshwar, explains: “[Shiv Sena’s] Arvind Sawant is fine, but he needs more time. Deora is a decent guy. But the business community of this area will vote for the BJP because we want a good leader in Delhi. The Congress doesn’t have a good leader, they should have introduced Priyanka Gandhi long ago. I think they should prepare her now for the next elections.” Like Rasik Shah, he thinks GST will be good for businesses in the long run.

He adds that the “promotional video” favouring Deora will not work on them.

In adjoining Kapda Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest wholesale cloth markets in the country, similar views are shared and the annoyance with Mukesh Ambani is palpable. Sushil Lath, 59, says, “Milind Deora is leadership material. But Mukesh Ambani—who benefited from the BJP—now taking the Congress’s side is not acceptable. He should not have promoted Deora and should have remained neutral. But his endorsement won’t influence us. For us, the most important thing is business and nothing else.”

Arun Rana, a 53-year-old cloth merchant, agrees. “Milind Deora is good. But this area is dominated by BJP-Shiv Sena, and they have worked here. I think the BJP will be good for all.”

But not all views lead to the BJP in the Centre. V Jayendra, a 63-year-old cloth wholesaler, already sounds disillusioned. “Whether it’s Deora or Rajpurohit [a local BJP leader], they come to get our votes after five years and once they win, they never visit us again till the next elections.”

On Peddar Road, one of India’s most expensive areas, resident Richa Khanduri tells this reporter that any candidate from any party shouldn’t take people for granted. “I can relate more to Milind Deora but I don’t know whether he has worked. There should be an ideological connect with the Centre but unfortunately, there is a disconnect.The politics of division is not good for the country—it’s not our heritage and this is not what we represent. But that doesn’t mean that other party is perfect. They are also on the same lines. Only the names are different.”