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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.

Race for supremacy

Fadnavis is strong on political front, facing difficulties in administrative push

Mumbai: For Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, this year has not just been about reclaiming his administrative legacy; it has been about proving that the BJP remains the indispensable anchor of stability, especially as the party navigates the choppier waters of coalition politics in New Delhi.


The opposition parties in the state, though broken by the 2024 defeat, have had a field day. Throughout the past year, they adopted a “shoot and scoot” strategy, levelling corruption charges against ministers with alarming frequency. While many charges haven’t stuck, the sheer volume has kept the government on the defensive. The MVA’s narrative has found some traction in rural pockets, where agrarian distress remains a sore point despite the government’s new loan restructuring schemes.


If Fadnavis’ first term (2014-2019) is remembered for the Metro and the Samruddhi Mahamarg, his third term is shaping up to be defined by direct benefit transfers and social security. Sensing the rural distress that cost the ruling alliance dearly in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Fadnavis shifted gears immediately upon taking charge last December.


Flagship Scheme

The flagship ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’, initially launched as a poll promise, saw a massive expansion this year. The monthly aid was not only regularized but the coverage was expanded to include women from slightly higher income brackets, effectively turning a welfare scheme into a universal social dividend for Maharashtra’s women.


Government’s decision to offer complete electricity bill waivers for agricultural pumps up to 7.5 HP came as a massive relief to the Vidarbha and Marathwada belts. Coupled with the aggressive implementation of the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana—which now covers medical expenses up to Rs 5 lakh for every family regardless of income criteria—the Fadnavis administration has successfully created a “welfare safety net” that the opposition has found difficult to puncture.


Undisputed Heavyweight

One year in, Devendra Fadnavis remains Maharashtra’s undisputed political heavyweight. His administrative grip is firm, and his vision for a trillion-dollar state economy is back on track. Yet, the political capital required to maintain this speed is higher than ever.


In 2014, he was a man in a hurry, leading from the front. In 2025, he is a man in a hurry, but one who must constantly check his rearview mirror to ensure his partners are still with him—and not dragging the wheels. The coming year, with the local body polls as the battleground, will decide if his administrative reforms can indeed survive the corrosive nature of coalition politics.


Shaky Delhi

The political significance of this stability extends far beyond the state’s borders. With the BJP at the Centre grappling with the constraints of a coalition government and a reduced mandate since the 2024 general elections, Maharashtra has emerged as the party’s most critical fortress.


On the backdrop of fractured mandate in Lok Sabha elections followed by the sudden exit of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Fadnavis has played the role of the reliable lieutenant perfectly. By insulating the state’s economy from political tremors and ensuring Mumbai remains an investment magnet – attracting over 40 per cent of India’s total FDI in 2025 – he has also provided the Centre with the economic narrative it desperately needs to counter the “slowdown” critiques.


Road Ahead

As the state gears up for the impending Local Body elections, the Fadnavis government faces its true litmus test. The narrative is set: on one side, a slew of populist decisions—free healthcare, direct cash transfers, and accelerated slum redevelopment in Mumbai—aimed at the common voter. On the other, the undeniable friction of a three-headed coalition and the opposition’s charges of corruption.


For now, Devendra Fadnavis has managed to keep the ship steady and the passengers relatively happy.


The Report Card

Pass

1. Push for investments

2. Focus on infrastructure

3. Reduced electricity rate

4. Welfare schemes


Fail

1. Failure in maintaining social harmony

2. Lack of tough action against corruption

3. Internal friction in ruling alliance

4. Rising law and order issues



“The government is busy patting its own back. They sit in five-star hotels and narrate their achievements, but people have received nothing except disappointment.”

Vijay Wadettiwar, Leader, Congress

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