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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.

Finally, the Benchwarmer’s Redemption

Oh, joy of joys! In a cricketing universe where fast bowlers get bodyguards and batsmen get billion-dollar endorsements for breathing, we finally have a plot twist worthy of a Bollywood underdog flick. Kuldeep Yadav – that chinaman-spinning wizard who’s been collecting dust on India’s bench longer than a forgotten gym membership – has been unleashed. Not just any old spin, mind you, but a four-wicket demolition derby against the UAE in the Asia Cup opener on September 10, 2025. Who knew that after months of playing spectator to his own career, our boy could still turn a pitch into a graveyard? It’s almost enough to make you believe in karma. Or at least in the selectors’ occasional mercy.


Let’s rewind this tragicomedy for the uninitiated. Picture this: It’s 2017, and Kuldeep bursts onto the scene like a left-arm tornado in a saree shop. Hat-trick in his second ODI against Sri Lanka? Check. Dismantling Australia in Tests with googly grenades? Double check. The kid from Uttar Pradesh was the next big thing – or so we thought. Fast-forward through the haze of IPL auctions, where he’s bounced around like a ping-pong ball from Mumbai Indians (where he didn’t even play, because why waste a googly on the bench?) to Kolkata Knight Riders, and eventually to Delhi Capitals, where he finally got to terrorize batsmen for real. By 2024, he’s snagging 21 IPL wickets, helping India lift the T20 World Cup like it’s no big deal, and even sneaking into the Champions Trophy squad in 2025 for a victory lap. Hero status? Locked and loaded.


But ah, the cruel hand of Indian cricket selection. Enter the Axis of Evil: R Ashwin, the off-spin sage with more wisdom than Yoda; Ravindra Jadeja, the all-rounder unicorn who fields like a panther on espresso; and, let’s not forget, the eternal batting crisis that turns every spinner into a pinch-hitter. Kuldeep, with his deceptive wrong’uns and that flipper that sneaks up like a ninja fart, spent the summer of 2025 in England glued to the team hotel sofa. “Tough for me,” he admitted post-match, probably while practicing his autograph on unused scorecards. Tough? Darling, it was a full-on exile. While the team chased batting depth like it was the last slice of pizza at a party, Kuldeep was out there doing Yo-Yo tests and plotting world domination in the nets. Mental discipline? More like saintly patience. If restraint were an Olympic sport, he’d have gold, silver, and the participation trophy.


And yet, here we are, September 2025, Asia Cup kicking off, and suddenly – poof! – the benchwarmer gets the nod. Why now? Did the selectors draw straws? Lose a bet to the UAE skipper? Or finally realize that facing spin on subcontinental tracks is less fun than a root canal without anesthesia? Whatever the cosmic joke, Kuldeep didn’t just play; he pranced. Four for… well, whatever paltry total the UAE scraped to (57, if we’re being precise, because apparently, they mistook the pitch for a minefield). That wrong’un that kissed the pad on its way to Sanju Samson? Chef’s kiss. The UAE review that went poof because they were out of timeouts? Comedy gold. India chased it down faster than you can say “easy win,” but let’s be real – this was Kuldeep’s show. A four-fer in his first T20I since the 2024 World Cup final? It’s like watching a caged tiger finally get fed – raw, exhilarating, and a tad terrifying for the opposition.


Sarcasm aside (though, really, who needs it when reality writes better punchlines?), this is why we love cricket’s underbelly. In a sport obsessed with six-hitters who moonwalk after boundaries and pacers who grunt like they’re auditioning for a wrestling promo, Kuldeep reminds us that subtlety can be savage. His left-arm chinaman isn’t flashy like Warne’s theatrics – no theatrical appeals or staredowns here. It’s surgical: a flipper here, a googly there, turning batsmen into muppets who poke at shadows. After warming the bench through England’s green-top tedium, where seamers ruled and spinners prayed for rain, Kuldeep’s return feels like poetic justice. No more “batting depth” excuses – just pure, wristy wizardry on turning tracks where he was born to thrive.


Humor me for a second: Imagine the team WhatsApp group during those England sidelines. “Kuldeep, fancy a net session?” “Nah, mates, I’m busy perfecting my Netflix queue. Send pics if anyone gets a wicket.” Or the selectors’ huddle: “Ashwin’s injured? Jadeja’s batting? Quick, who was that spinner we buried in 2023?” Boom – resurrection. It’s hilariously human, this carousel of selection snubs, and Kuldeep’s grin post-match says it all: “I’ve waited this long; now watch me feast.”


So, hail to the chinaman king, finally off the naughty step. In an era where cricket’s become a batting blockbuster, Kuldeep’s comeback is the indie flick we didn’t know we needed – quirky, unexpected, and utterly devastating. May his bench days be a distant memory, replaced by hauls that leave opponents googly-eyed. India cricket, you chaotic beauty: occasionally, you get it right. And damn, does it feel good to cheer.


(The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

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