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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.

Govt targets multiple goals in one attempt

Mumbai: Though paying respects to Maharani Ahilyadevi Holkar on the occasion of her tri-centenary is said to be the sole purpose of the meeting of the council of ministers to be held at Ahilyanagar on Tuesday, internal sources cite socio-political issues pertaining to the core voter base of Mahayuti as the real reason behind the meeting.


The Shiv Sena-BJP government of 1995 started the tradition of holding cabinet meetings in different parts of the state in order to send a message of its commitment to the development of those areas. Successive governments continued with the practice so much so that it has now become a tradition of sorts. However, the Mahayuti Cabinet’s Ahilyanagar meeting assumes significance as it is be the first Cabinet meeting to be held in the district by any party or coalition’s government in Maharashtra so far.


Also, it is a sort of reaffirmation to the coalition’s commitment which they demonstrated in 2023 in the form of renaming Ahmednagar district to Ahilyanagar to honour the Queen.


The decision taken ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls was part of its strategy to appeal to the Dhangar community, and also to signal its position against Muslim rulers. Moreover, it was part of the BJP’s plan to keep its core voter base within the Dhangar community intact.


Though Ahilyadevi Holkar is highly revered among all castes and communities, present-day Holkars belong to the Dhangar community. The community, numbering at nine per cent of the state population, is a significant vote bank. In terms of electoral politics, Dhangars play a decisive role in seven to nine Lok Sabha seats and 35 to 40 Assembly constituencies.


Ahilyadevi was born in Chondi village in May 1725. That too is the reason why the district and the city were named after her.


Dhangar reservation

Moreover, the BJP had promised reservation to Dhangars under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category in 2012-13. However, it remains unfulfilled even though the state government has earmarked welfare schemes and funds for the Dhangar community. The non-fulfilment of promises has shaken the BJP’s base within Dhangar community and some leaders, like Mahadeo Jankar, are said to have started searching for other options in the Indi alliance. By holding the cabinet meeting at Ahilyanagar, the BJP wants to send out a message to all such leaders that it is aware of its promises and it shall pursue the cause.


State Legislative Council chairman Ram Shinde and Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, both hail from the Ahilyanagar district. The two BJP leaders have been engaged in the preparations for the Cabinet meeting form almost about a month. The Public Works Department had issued a Rs 1.5 crore tender to make arrangements and build basic infrastructure in Chondi for the meeting.


However, it was embroiled in controversy after a newspaper misinterpreted it to be Rs 150 crore tender. More than the opposition’s attempt to target the government over such issues, the Mahayuti alliance parties appear to be more worried about the factionalism within the district units. The meeting is expected to reaffirm status of existing leadership and thereby give a breather to the state leadership until the local body elections expected later this year.

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