Hyderabad: From a childhood spent visiting her grandparents in Secunderabad to a career in Canadian politics, Telugu-origin Dipika Damerla’s journey has taken her from Hyderabad’s cantonment area to the mayoral race in Mississauga, Ontario.A former provincial minister and an eight-year city councillor, she is now campaigning on better civic services, affordability and economic growth, using an unconventional mix of policy promises and Bollywood songs to reach voters.
Damerla was born in Secunderabad to a family with an Army background. Her father’s postings meant the family moved frequently, but her grandparents’ home kept her connected to the city. She recalls visits to Monda Market and Secunderabad Club, and studied at Raja Jitendra Public School in Begumpet and Kendriya Vidyalaya in Trimulgherry. She moved to Canada in 1991 after her marriage.“We had Satyanarayan kathas and relatives visiting our house often. The Telugu films screened at Sheesh Mahal are an integral part of my memories. Those four years in Hyderabad were unforgettable,” she told STOI from Canada during a brief interview.Her campaign has recently drawn attention for its use of Bollywood songs. On Oct 9, following a mayoral debate, Damerla posted a video on X reworking the song ‘Kya Hua Tera Wada’. The clip ends with her slogan, “A city that works”, and an appeal for votes.In the interview, she said her team had been filming other campaign material when they decided to create something lighter. “It was just a gentle poke at myself. We never imagined it would get this much attention,” she said, adding that some of the response had been hateful. “The hate was upsetting, though,” she said.The lighter campaign material sits alongside a sharper pitch on governance. Having served as a Mississauga city councillor for eight years, Damerla said she believed the city could do much better, citing affordability, rising crime and the quality of civic services.“Why should residents have to put up with potholes in their neighbourhoods or litter in their parks? Govts have to act better and be accountable to the people they serve,” she said.Damerla has promised to freeze the city-controlled portion of residential property taxes for 2027. The freeze would not cover costs associated with road maintenance and waste collection being transferred from the regional govt to the city. She has also called for an independent Auditor General to scrutinise municipal spending and a review of the police funding formula.Beyond affordability and civic services, she wants Mississauga to become a centre for innovation, pointing to areas such as quantum computing and physical artificial intelligence.“I want to put Mississauga on the world map as a centre for innovation. These emerging fields offer opportunities to strengthen the local economy, and I want the city to be at the forefront of that growth,” she said.Her approach to governance, she said, has also been shaped by her experience of living in India. “When govts fail, people suffer. Failures in public education and other essential services have a direct impact on people’s lives. Govts everywhere need to respond better to residents and ensure public services work,” she said.Damerla moved into corporate banking after completing an MBA in finance from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and later ran a small business in Mississauga. After three unsuccessful attempts to enter provincial politics, she was elected to Ontario’s legislature in 2011, representing Mississauga East-Cooksville. She served as associate minister of health and long-term care and later as minister for seniors’ affairs before being elected to Mississauga City Council in 2018.Her links to Telangana extend beyond her childhood. In 2016, Damerla was part of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s trade mission to India, which included Hyderabad and aimed to strengthen economic ties between Ontario and India. The wider mission explored cooperation in sustainable development, urban infrastructure, renewable energy and environmental technology. During the visit, Canadian company DataWind announced a partnership with the Telangana govt to establish a manufacturing base in Hyderabad.That year, Damerla was also the guest of honour at Telangana Night in the Greater Toronto Area, an event that brought together more than 800 members of the Telangana diaspora. She described the prospect of returning to her hometown and strengthening ties between India and Canada as “emotional and heartwarming”.“Trade between India and Canada could be so good. There is a fantastic opportunity to build on that relationship,” she said. Mississauga will vote for its next mayor on Oct 26.
