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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.

The Law Behind Electoral Rolls

Part 3: Who Can Be Registered as a Voter? Understanding Sections 19 and 20 of the RPA, 1950

In Part 1 of this series, we traced the constitutional foundations of India’s election system, focusing on the powers of the Election Commission under Articles 324–329 and the safeguards built to ensure its independence. Part 2 then moved to the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which sets out how electoral rolls are prepared and maintained.


In Part 3, we turn to a crucial question: who can be registered as a voter? Sections 19 and 20 of the Act spell out the conditions for voter registration, particularly the meaning of being an ordinary resident of a constituency. This concept is central to determining where a citizen’s name is entered on the electoral roll, and it has been clarified both through legislation and landmark Supreme Court judgments. 


So, what do these sections actually say? The name of any citizen of India who has attained the age of 18 may be entered on the electoral roll. But the question arises: on which electoral roll? Since each Assembly constituency has its own roll, in which constituency should that person’s name appear? The answer lies in Section 20 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. This provision makes it clear that an individual’s name will be entered on the roll of the constituency where he or she is ordinarily resident. Before turning to Section 20, however, it is worth first examining what Section 19 of the same act states.


Section 19 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, states that a person can be registered as a voter if they are at least 18 years old and are an ordinary resident of the constituency. Section 20 explains the concept of an ordinary resident in detail, and understanding this is essential.


To qualify as an ordinary resident under Section 20, a person does not need to own or permanently stay in a house in the constituency, nor reside there all year. The focus is on their intent and current residence at the time of electoral registration; temporary absences for work do not disqualify them as ordinary residents.


Even if a government official, Defence personnel, officer in the Defence, or police officer has a house in a village and they are living in another city of the state on account of the work, they remain an ordinary resident of the constituency in which their name is registered as a voter. If they live in another city or state on account of work and do not reside in their native place, then their name cannot be removed from the relevant electoral roll. Similarly, if a mentally ill person is undergoing treatment in a hospital, or if a person is in jail due to a sentence passed by a competent court, or a case is pending against them, it does not mean that he has ceased to be an ordinary resident of their constituency. Detailed provisions in this regard have been made in the sub-sections of this section. If there is any objection to the ordinary residence of a person, then the Central Government should decide based on rules framed by the Central Government in consultation with the Election Commission of India, taking into account all the facts of the case.


Jyoti Basu vs Debi Ghosal

This is an important case in the history of Indian elections. In this case, the Supreme Court has given a detailed explanation on whether the right to vote is a fundamental right or a right granted by law. In it, the Supreme Court has said that it is a completely statutory right. This right can be exercised only as per the provisions of the statute. It means this right is not unlimited. This right can be exercised by the voters only as per the provisions made in the Representation of the People Act, and this law will control it. When an election petition can be filed, in which court the case will be tried, and what will be the time limit for filing the case – all these will be applicable only as per the relevant law. The Supreme Court has said that this is a special type of provision.


To be continued…


(The writer is an author and a digital journalism teacher. Views personal.)

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