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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.

OBCs, political parties hail SC order on Local Polls

Mumbai: Political parties and OBC groups in the state heartily welcomed the Supreme Court order on conducting the long-pending local bodies’ elections on the existing OBC quotas within four months in Maharashtra.


OBC leaders like Prof. Laxman S. Hake, Chhagan Bhujbal, Congress state President Harshwardhan Sapkal, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) state chief Jayant Patil, Dr. Amol Kolhe, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders and others reacted to the SC interim verdict.


“We are very happy as the existing (27%) quotas between 1994-2022 have been sustained. The Jayant K. Banthia Commission had made its recommendations even without a proper survey, and we wonder how it arrived at its conclusions. Now it has been set aside and the elections have been ordered,” Prof. Hake told The Perfect Voice.


“This is a huge success in our endeavour for OBC political reservations. Through ex-MP Sameer Bhujbal, the Akhil Bharatiya Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad had filed the petition in SC to save the cause. We are pleased by the apex court decision. It is crucial for the political existence of the OBC nomadic communities,” said an elated Bhujbal.


Sapkal has said that the state government should now hold these elections without any delay and without finding any loopholes to bring back the former glory of the posts of corporator, mayor, and speaker.


He said that the 73rd Constitutional Amendment implemented the Panchayat Raj system, leading to decentralization of power, plus resulting in division of power among the Corporators, mayor and others.


“This continued well, but the local bodies elections were not held for the past few years as the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in the state and Centre wanted all the power in their own hands. After the SC’s verdict, the state government should forthwith announce the elections to give back power to the people,” urged Sapkal.


Patil said that the local bodies polls were not held for the past 3 years, but now the SC’s interim order will pave the way for the elections which are essential for all political parties and their workers.


“The polls will be held subject to the final order of SC regarding OBC quotas. It has also allowed the State Election Commission liberty to seek extension of time if needed. We hope that the state government will not push back the elections through the SEC,” averred Patil.


Hake added that the Centre’s announcement to conduct a Caste Census would not affect the OBCs quotas in elections.


SC: Ensure grassroots democracy

In a much-anticipated order, the SC division bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N. K. Singh directed the Maharashtra government to conduct the local bodies elections which are pending since 2022 following litigation pertaining to implementing the OBCs quotas. The SC’s interim order directed the polls to be held as per the OBC reservations which existed prior to the Banthia Commission report (July 2022), to notify the polls process within four weeks and complete it within four months, to ensure and respect democracy at the grassroots level as enshrine in the Constitution.


Justice Kant and Justice Singh granted liberty to the SEC to seek an extension of time if necessary, and said that polls will be subject to the outcome of the bunch of petitions challenging the Banthia Commission though the order would not prejudice the contentions of the political parties.

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