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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.

Raj to join Uddhav for victory march

Mumbai: A day after the Maharashtra government yanked off the GRs mandating Hindi teaching in state-run primary schools, the Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and other parties-organisations are planning a massive victory rally on July 5.

 

Lauding the Marathi people of the state for their support on the issue, MNS President Raj Thackeray remarked that the government was left with “no option” but to withdraw the two contentious GRs on Sunday.

 

“It was argued that many north Indians come here for employment. If that is so then why not teach Marathi in their states instead of imposing Hindi in Maharashtra? This bid to impose a 150-200 year-old regional language (Hindi) over a 3,000-year classical language like Marathi is not at all acceptable to us,” declared Raj.

 

Flaying the government’s stance on compulsory Hindi from Class I -IV, the MNS chief said that earlier Hindi, Sanskrit other other such languages were taught after Class V or VI which was good.

 

“Why push it now from Class I? Hindi is not a national language… It can’t be imposed on other states,” Raj pointed out.

 

He said that after the government withdrew the GRs, SS (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called up to mark the development with a victory rally, and now both parties are planning the venue, timings, etc, for July 5.

 

Raj said while it was not a matter of claiming credit, the MNS was the first to oppose the 3-language policy and as the tempers heightened other parties like SS (UBT), Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and several organisations, actors artists, civil society members and more joined in.

 

“The protest (of July 5) would have been unprecedented and reminded the people of the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement almost seven decades ago. A united voice of the Marathis makes an impact and we hope the state government has realized it,” said Raj in a swipe at the ruling MahaYuti of Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party.

 

Despite being gung-ho over the latest political triumph, SS (UBT) leaders made it clear and the present camaraderie was confined to the anti-Hindi imposition plans, “but, the issue of the two parties reaching a political understanding is still far away”.

 

“We have smashed the heads of Marathi haters. Before they raise their heads again and the next crisis hits us, we should maintain this unity. We are talking to everyone. We need to show the same unity in the victory celebration."

Uddhav Thackeray, President, Shiv Sena (UBT)

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