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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.

Lokyogi – The Saga of a Mass Leader

The journey of a leader who measured success not by personal gain, but by service to the people.


In Lokyogi, Shivajirao Patil Kavhekar offers not just a chronicle of his life, but a rich, deeply personal narrative of the transformation of a village, a region, and ultimately, a man who rose from the soil of rural Maharashtra to shape political, social, and agricultural change with unwavering dedication.


Born on July 11, 1954, in the small village of Kavha in Latur tehsil, Kavhekar’s early life was rooted in simplicity and service. Raised in a farming family with strong ties to the Arya Samaj movement and a legacy of leadership, his father was a respected Police Patil and a prominent landlord. Kavhekar imbibed the values of duty, discipline, and social reform from an early age. These formative influences are vividly recalled in his autobiography, as he brings alive memories from both his maternal and paternal ancestral homes, sketching the intellectual and moral foundation of his life’s journey.


From a young student with a passion for education and community improvement to a fiery reformist in college movements and eventually a towering political figure, Kavhekar's life reads like a blueprint for grassroots leadership. His rise from sarpanch to chairperson of the Latur Agricultural Market Committee, and ultimately to Member of the Legislative Assembly, defeating Vilasrao Deshmukh in the 1995 elections, was no mere accident of fate. It was the result of decades of relentless effort, political astuteness, and a fierce will to serve.


Kavhekar’s narrative is not one of privilege, but of grit. The struggles he faced, the resistance he encountered, and the systemic injustice he sought to challenge are laid bare in this autobiography with admirable honesty. Whether addressing the exploitation of farmers in market committees or championing the cause of mathadi workers and women labourers, his voice consistently rises for the voiceless.


His work in education, especially the establishment of the JSPM educational trust and creation of 40 branches across the region, helped build what came to be known as the ‘Latur Pattern’, a model of academic excellence in rural Maharashtra. Through initiatives like the Maharashtra Nagari Sahakari Bank, Kavhekar also focused on the financial empowerment of marginalised communities, particularly women and economically backward groups.


But what truly sets Lokyogi apart is not just the catalogue of accomplishments; it’s the soul behind them. The book brings us face to face with a man who saw leadership not as a ladder to personal gain but as a platform for public welfare. Whether engaging in youth politics, serving as vice president of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha, or leading agitations for the development of Marathwada, Kavhekar never lost sight of his core mission: upliftment through unity.


His political life, spanning affiliations with the Congress, Janata Dal, NCP, and BJP, is a testament to his ideological adaptability without compromising his moral compass. He worked with stalwarts like Sharad Pawar, Rajiv Gandhi, Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Vilasrao Deshmukh, each encounter enriching his political persona. One particularly telling episode involves the word “mamuli” used in an assembly election campaign, which Kavhekar uses to illustrate the power of language in shaping political outcomes.


In 1995, after being denied an assembly ticket by the Congress party, Shivajirao Patil Kavhekar contested the election as a Janata Dal candidate against the formidable Vilasrao Deshmukh and emerged victorious, securing an impressive 107,000 votes.


Visually evocative, emotionally resonant, and written in a fluid, compelling style, Lokyogi is as much a personal memoir as it is a historical account of rural Maharashtra’s transformation. His stories of village transformation, turning a violence-prone Kavha into a smart village, and his championing of farmer rights, market reforms, and education, show how vision and perseverance can indeed change the world, one decision at a time.


The title Lokyogi, meaning ‘a sage among the people’, is apt and symbolic. Kavhekar is not portrayed as a distant, exalted figure, but as a leader deeply embedded in the lives of the common people. His saga is not merely one of success but of meaningful service.


This autobiography is not just a book; it is a movement in print. A legacy to inspire future generations of political leaders, social reformers, and everyday citizens who dare to believe that leadership, at its best, is a sacred duty to serve.


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

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