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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.

Granddaughter of Vasantdada Patil joins BJP

Mumbai: Jayashree Patil, the granddaughter-in-law of former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Vasantdada Patil, joined the BJP in presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the state BJP headquarters here on Wednesday.


Jayashree Patil is the last member of Vasantdada Patil family to leave Congress. With her joining the BJP, none of the family members of one of the strongest Chief Ministers of the Congress are anymore with the grand old party. Vasantdada is remembered as the leader who was always connected with the grassroots and he played a crucial role in spreading the Congress party across the state and giving it the tight grip over rural politics through Cooperative movement.

 

Mrs Patil, who is Vice Chairperson of the Sangli District Cooperative Bank joined the BJP along with hundreds of her followers. She said, she decided to join the BJP for development of Sangli and that she is joining the party without any conditions and that she has not sought any post from the BJP leadership.

 

“I had rebelled during assembly elections as the Congress party did injustice to us. I’m confident that in the BJP I’ll get the honour that I didn’t get while in Congress,” Mrs Patil said while speaking after joining the BJP.

 

Guardian minister of Sangli Chandrakant Patil played a major role in bringing her to the party fold. “It is very important moment as a person from Vasantdada Patil’s family is joining the BJP,” Chandrakant Patil said. Several other local Congress leaders like former mayor Kishor Saha, Kanchan Kamble, Prashant Patil, Shevanta Waghmare, Uttam Sakhalkar, former chief of standing committee Santosh Patil, former corporators Ajit Suryavanshi, Rohini Patil, Mrinal Patil, Karan Jamdar and president of district labour federation Sunil Jadhav too joined the BJP along with Mrs Patil on the occasion.MLAs Suresh Khade, Sudhir Gadgil, state president of Janasurajya Party Sumit Kadam, Sangli district BJP president Samrat Mahadik and City president Prakash Dhang were present at the occasion.

 

People are fed up with directionless leadership of Congress: FadnavisCM Fadnavis reminded of several of the people-centric decisions made by Vasantdada Patil while he was the Chief Minister and said that Jayashree Patil is carrying that legacy of connect with the people. He also said that though the Congress didn’t take note of her abilities, she won’t have such a disheartening experience in the BJP. The party’s strength shall grow considerably in the district because of her joining the party, he added.

 

“Even when the party was in opposition, the BJP never shun the ideology of national interest and social good. But, after having to sit in the opposition, the Congress has gone rudderless. Its leadership is directionless,” Fadnavis said without naming Rahul Gandhi.

 

Loyalists within the Congress are all frustrated because the leadership is constantly talking against the Indian army. This is leading to demoralization of local leadership of the party and that is the reason why Congress leaders across the state are all willing to join the BJP, Fadnavis said.


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