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Sanjay Ghadi and Ritu Tawde (PTI image)
NEW DELHI: BJP corporator Ritu Tawde is acceptable to go Mumbai’s adjacent politician aft being elected unopposed, marking the party’s instrumentality to the station aft 44 years and ending the Shiv Sena’s uninterrupted 25-year clasp implicit the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).The contention turned uncontested aft the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) decided not to tract a challenger against Tawde, efficaciously clearing her way to the mayor’s office. Though the mayor’s relation is mostly ceremonial, it carries beardown governmental and symbolic value successful Mumbai’s identity-driven civic politics.Tawde’s elevation volition beryllium the BJP’s archetypal mayoral triumph successful Mumbai since Prabhakar Pai’s tenure successful 1982–83.
It besides means the undivided Shiv Sena, which controlled the BMC from 1997 to 2022, volition not clasp the mayor’s station aft astir 3 decades.On the last time of nominations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, a BJP state successful the ruling Mahayuti, nominated Sanjay Ghadi arsenic its campaigner for lawman mayor. The enactment announced that the lawman mayor’s tenure would beryllium split, allowing aggregate corporators to service during the term.
A elder BMC authoritative told PTI that lone 1 information each was received for the mayor’s and lawman mayor’s posts earlier the 6 p.m. deadline. “We person received conscionable 1 information from BJP’s Ritu Tawde for the mayor’s station and different from Sanjay Ghadi for the lawman mayor’s post,” the authoritative said.Although absorption parties person not filed nominations, the predetermination process volition beryllium formally completed connected February 11, which is besides the past time for withdrawal of nominations.
The mayor’s station has been reserved for a pistillate campaigner from the unfastened class pursuing a gully of tons by the Urban Development Department.Tawde (53), a corporator from Ghatkopar East, filed her information astatine the municipal secretary’s bureau successful the beingness of elder Mahayuti leaders, including curate Mangal Prabhat Lodha and BJP Mumbai portion main Ameet Satam.
Speaking to reporters, she said a safer and much developed Mumbai was her precedence and that she wanted to enactment for citizens of the cosmopolitan city.The Shiv Sena (UBT) was expected to situation the BJP nominee but decided against it aft a gathering astatine enactment main Uddhav Thackeray’s residence. Former Mumbai politician and Sena (UBT) person Kishori Pednekar said the determination reflected respect for Marathi identity.“The BJP had to judge that Marathi manoos is simply a Hindu. If the politician of Mumbai is Marathi manoos, we won’t bash thing that amounts to a atrocious omen. We person accepted the arithmetic and volition play the relation of a beardown absorption and combat for Mumbai,” Pednekar said.The Sena (UBT) had raised the Marathi individuality plank successful past month’s BMC elections, wherever it contested successful confederation with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The BJP emerged arsenic the azygous largest enactment with 89 seats successful the 227-member civic body. The ruling Mahayuti alliance, with a combined spot of 118 corporators, comfortably crossed the halfway people of 114.Addressing a property league earlier successful the day, BJP’s Satam said that the metropolis was acceptable to get a BJP politician aft 4 decades.
“We person the backing of 118 corporators and the enactment of much members. The Mahayuti volition enactment to escaped the BMC from the clutches of corruption,” helium said.Satam besides said that the confederation had asserted from the opening that Mumbai’s politician would beryllium Marathi and Hindu. “The metropolis volition present get a Marathi, Malvani, Konkani and Hindu mayor,” helium added.Reacting sharply, the NCP (SP) criticised the BJP’s choice, saying selecting a erstwhile Congress person arsenic politician had demoralised enactment loyalists.
NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto said, “By choosing a erstwhile Congresswoman arsenic mayor, the BJP has insulted its ain loyal corporators who person fixed their blood, sweat and tears for the party.”Tawde, who joined the BJP successful 2012 aft quitting the Congress, was elected arsenic a corporator the aforesaid year. During her archetypal term, she chaired the BMC’s Education Committee and raised issues related to infrastructure, h2o proviso and nationalist safety.
She was besides successful the spotlight for raising objections to mannequins displaying objectionable covering successful shops.Ghadi, a corporator from Ward No. 5 who defected from Sena (UBT) to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, volition service arsenic lawman politician for 15 months, enactment caput Sanjay More said.The BMC, India’s richest civic body, has been nether a state-appointed head since March 2022 pursuing the extremity of the erstwhile term. Its fund for 2025–26 stands astatine Rs 74,450 crore, higher than that of respective Indian states.
