Mumbai, Feb 4 (IANS) The election to the posts of mayor and deputy mayor for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will take place on February 11. The BMC secretary, in a notice published in newspapers, has released the primary agenda for the general meeting on February 11.
According to the notice, the agenda includes the presentation of the Municipal Commissioner’s statement providing the list of newly elected members to the BMC and the formal election process for the prestigious positions of mayor and deputy mayor.
The notice, dated February 3, marks the beginning of the new administrative term for the city’s civic body. All eyes will be on the BMC Headquarters next Wednesday as the city’s new leadership is decided. In BMC, the mayor’s post has been reserved for a woman from the general category.
The BJP has emerged as the single largest party, winning 89 of the 227 seats, while Shiv Sena has secured 29 seats. Although the BJP-led alliance has crossed the majority mark of 114 seats, it is still unclear whether the mayor will be from the BJP or the Shinde Sena. Incidentally, the BJP and Shiv Sena have separately made group registrations at the Konkan Divisional Commissioner’s office.
BJP corporators Sheetal Gambhir Desai, Rutu Tawde and Tejaswini Ghosalkar are front-runners for the mayoral post. Shiv Sena is likely to get the deputy mayor’s post in BMC.
Meanwhile, five municipal corporations from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region got new mayors and deputy mayors.
In the Thane Municipal Corporation, Shiv Sena and BJP agreed to a power-sharing formula. Accordingly, Shiv Sena corporator Sharmila Pimpalolkar was elected mayor and BJP corporator Krishna Patil as deputy mayor.
In the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), the Mahayuti alliance took control after a gap of six years. The election was overseen by District Collector Anchal Goyal. Shiv Sena corporator Harshali Thawil-Chaudhary became mayor, and BJP corporator Rahul Damle deputy mayor.
In Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), despite protests from local groups demanding a Marathi-speaking Mayor, the BJP utilised its massive majority (78 out of 95 seats) to appoint its candidates, Dimple Mehta as mayor and Dhruvkishor Patil (BJP).
In Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, Shiv Sena corporator Ashwini Nikam was elected as mayor and BJP corporator Amar Lund as deputy mayor.
In Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation, the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi corporator Ajeev Patil became mayor and the party corporator Masrhal Lopis became the deputy mayor.
–IANS
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