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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Seventy-six mayors ruled BMC since 1931

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city...

Seventy-six mayors ruled BMC since 1931

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city will get a ‘Hindu Marathi’ person to head India’s richest civic body, while the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena also harbour fond hopes of a miracle that could ensure their own person for the post. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) optimism stems from expectations of possible political permutations-combinations that could develop with a realignment of forces as the Supreme Court is hearing the cases involving the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party this week. Catapulted as the largest single party, the BJP hopes to install a first ever party-man as Mayor, but that may not create history. Way back in 1982-1983, a BJP leader Dr. Prabhakar Pai had served in the top post in Mumbai (then Bombay). Incidentally, Dr. Pai hailed from Udupi district of Karnataka, and his appointment came barely a couple of years after the BJP was formed (1980), capping a distinguished career as a city father, said experts. Originally a Congressman, Dr. Pai later shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party, then back to Congress briefly, founded the Janata Seva Sangh before immersing himself in social activities. Second Administrator The 2026 Mayoral elections have evoked huge interest not only among Mumbaikars but across the country as it comes after nearly four years since the BMC was governed by an Administrator. This was only the second time in the BMC history that an Administrator was named after April 1984-May 1985. On both occasions, there were election-related issues, the first time the elections got delayed for certain reasons and the second time the polling was put off owing to Ward delimitations and OBC quotas as the matter was pending in the courts. From 1931 till 2022, Mumbai has been lorded over by 76 Mayors, men and women, hailing from various regions, backgrounds, castes and communities. They included Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, even a Jew, etc., truly reflecting the cosmopolitan personality of the coastal city and India’s financial powerhouse. In 1931-1932, the Mayor was a Parsi, J. B. Boman Behram, and others from his community followed like Khurshed Framji Nariman (after whom Nariman Point is named), E. A. Bandukwala, Minoo Masani, B. N. Karanjia and other bigwigs. There were Muslims like Hoosenally Rahimtoola, Sultan M. Chinoy, the legendary Yusuf Meherally, Dr. A. U. Memon and others. The Christian community got a fair share of Mayors with Joseph A. D’Souza – who was Member of Constituent Assembly representing Bombay Province for writing-approving the Constitution of India, M. U. Mascarenhas, P. A. Dias, Simon C. Fernandes, J. Leon D’Souza, et al. A Jew Elijah Moses (1937-1938) and a Sikh M. H. Bedi (1983-1984), served as Mayors, but post-1985, for the past 40 years, nobody from any minority community occupied the august post. During the silver jubilee year of the post, Sulochana M. Modi became the first woman Mayor of Mumbai (1956), and later with tweaks in the rules, many women ruled in this post – Nirmala Samant-Prabhavalkar (1994-1995), Vishakha Raut (997-1998), Dr. Shubha Raul (March 2007-Nov. 2009), Shraddha Jadhav (Dec. 2009-March 2012), Snehal Ambedkar (Sep. 2014-March 2017). The last incumbent (before the Administrator) was a government nurse, Kishori Pednekar (Nov. 2019-March 2022) - who earned the sobriquet of ‘Florence Nightingale’ of Mumbai - as she flitted around in her full white uniform at the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, earning the admiration of the citizens. Mumbai Mayor – high-profile post The Mumbai Mayor’s post is considered a crucial step in the political ladder and many went on to become MLAs, MPs, state-central ministers, a Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Ministers and union ministers. The formidable S. K. Patil was Mayor (1949-1952) and later served in the union cabinets of PMs Jawaharlal Nehru, Lah Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi; Dahyabhai V. Patel (1954-1955) was the son of India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel; Manohar Joshi (1976-1977) became the CM of Maharashtra, later union minister and Speaker of Lok Sabha; Chhagan Bhujbal (1985-1986 – 1990-1991) became a Deputy CM.

Acrimonious Alliance

Updated: Feb 14, 2025

Maharashtra’s ruling coalition, the Mahayuti, seems to be cracking at the seams. The alliance between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena appears to be fraying, with each passing week bringing new signs of strain. Once a kingmaker, Shinde now finds himself increasingly sidelined, his influence diminishing as Fadnavis consolidates control. The uneasy relationship between the two leaders is not merely a matter of political manoeuvring but is beginning to affect governance in a state regarded as one of India’s economic powerhouses.


The latest controversy stems from Shinde’s exclusion from the reconstituted State Disaster Management Committee. Though the government hastily amended rules to reinstate him following ire from Shinde’s camp, the episode laid bare the growing power imbalance. This is not an isolated incident. Earlier, Fadnavis ordered an investigation into Shinde’s tenure as transport minister over the procurement of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses. The move was widely perceived as an attempt to weaken Shinde. More recently, Fadnavis appointed an IAS officer to lead the MSRTC, a role traditionally held by the transport minister - another Sena leader - further undercutting the party’s influence.


The discord extends beyond Shinde’s personal standing. Sena ministers are increasingly complaining about interference from the BJP. Uday Samant, the industries minister, recently penned a letter expressing his displeasure at bureaucrats making decisions without consulting him. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik was denied the chairmanship of MSRTC, further stoking resentment. Meanwhile, Sena leader Bharat Gogawale, passed over for the guardian ministership of Raigad, boycotted a key district meeting, underscoring the party’s growing discontent.


At the heart of this power struggle lies Shinde’s diminished stature. When he defected from the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray in 2022, bringing with him a substantial faction, he was rewarded with the chief minister’s chair. But the recent state elections changed the equation. The Mahayuti alliance secured 230 of 288 seats, but the BJP’s commanding victory meant that Fadnavis, who had reluctantly ceded the top post to Shinde in 2022, was now in a position to reassert his dominance.


Shinde has been conspicuously absent from key cabinet meetings, and when he does attend, he arrives late. The Opposition Sena (UBT) has claimed that Shinde appears to be struggling to reconcile himself to the reality that his tenure as chief minister was merely a temporary arrangement. His growing irrelevance has emboldened BJP leaders to encroach on his turf.


Maharashtra’s economic and administrative priorities risk being derailed by political infighting. Governance cannot take a backseat to factional battles. If the current trajectory continues, Shinde may find himself reduced to a mere figurehead, while real power is wielded by Fadnavis and the BJP. The question now is whether Shinde will attempt to push back or resign himself to the inevitable. Either way, Maharashtra’s governance remains the collateral damage in this increasingly acrimonious power struggle.

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