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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.

Attempts for Hindu consolidation ahead of polls

Mumbai: While the state cabinet showered several gifts for the recently renamed Ahilyanagar district in its meeting in the district on Tuesday, overall the decisions appear to be directed towards Hindu consolidation ahead of the local body election which are likely to take place anytime over next four months.


At the meeting of the council of ministers at Chondi, the birthplace of Maharani Ahilyadevi Holkar, a total of 11 decisions were made. These decisions can be classified in three groups, viz. decisions pertaining to amenities in the Ahilyanagar district, decisions regarding grand celebrations in the tri-centenary year of Ahilyadevi, and decisions openly aimed at consolidating the Hindu vote bank ahead of the local body elections. A closer look the decisions might make one feel there is not much difference in the decisions in the second and third group if their effect if take into account.


The cabinet decided to convert the Ahilyanagar district general hospital to an upgraded 430-bed hospital and set up a new government medical college affiliated to it with an intake capacity of 100 students. While revealing the decision to the media, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mentioned that the state government had not given a medical college to this district when the decision to open 8 new medical colleges in October 2024 and district is now being compensated for. The government will spend Rs 485.08 crore on the project. A new ITI dedicated for women too will be started at Ahilyanagar, the CM said. The cabinet also decided to start a civil court at Rahuri in the district.


Among the second set of cabinet decisions is the decisions to produce a feature film on the life and work of Maharani Ahilyadevi. “This will be a commercial film. It will be made in several of the Indian languages apart from Marathi and the film, theatre and cultural development corporation of the state government shall coordinate the efforts of production of this film,” CM told the media.


Also, in honour to Ahilyadevi, the state government shall initiate an awareness campaign regarding economic, social, educational and health related problems faced by women. The campaign shall eventually take form of a movement that shall try to achieve goals set to do away with malnutrition, child death, raise percentage of girl child education, doing away with violence against girls and women, gender crimes etc. and honour the village panchayats that would excel in implementation of this Adishakti campaign.


The third decision in this category is about facilitating education of students from Dhangar community in English medium schools. The scheme has already been in place. Now it will be expanded, said the CM. Now under this scheme, named after Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar, 10,000 students will benefit and a total of Rs 288.92 crore will be spent on the scheme. The cabinet also cleared yet another scheme for building hostels for students from Dhangar community at every regional headquarters with an intake capacity of 200.


Under the third set of decisions that are aimed at Hindu consolidation, the Maharashtra cabinet allocated Ra 5503 crore for restoration and renovation of temples and development plans of the holy towns. Ahilyadevi had generously donated for restoration of old temples and building shrines and ghats at holy places. Under this scheme the Maharastra cabinet decided to restore Ahilyadevi memorial at Chondi, Eight Ganesh temples in Western Maharashtra known as Ashtavinayak Mandirs, Tuljabhavani temple near Solapur, Jyotiba Temple near Kolhapur, Tryambakeshwar temple near Nashik, Mahalakshmi temple at Kolhapur and Mahurgad temple near Nanded.


To act on the footsteps of Ahilyadevi, the state cabinet also decided to restore the Ghats, wells and lakes built during her tenure in Maharashtra and the water distribution system developed by her. There are at least 3 such historic lakes, 19 wells, 6 Ghats and 6 Kundas. The state government has decided to restore all these 36 water bodies at a cost of Rs 75 crore.


The cabinet also decided to enact the Nashik-Tryambakeshwar Kumbhamela Authority ordinance 2025. Under this decisions a new authority will be set up to plan and take decisions regarding 2027 Kumbhamela at Nahsik. This is based on the authority set up by the UP government to organize the recent Mahakumbha at Prayagraj.

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