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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.

Sarnaik heckled; driven out

Thane: Hundreds of people joined a morcha organised by the MNS and some social groups on Tuesday to defend the Marathi 'asmita' (pride) in Mira Bhayandar area of Thane district amid rising political heat following the attack on a shopkeeper for not speaking Marathi.


Leaders and workers of Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) also joined the protest amid high drama on the streets and detention of several activists by police.


Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik who visited the protest site in the afternoon was heckled and driven away by angry demonstrators.


Police had denied permission for the protest march citing the potential threat to law and order. However, after high drama on the streets and apparent political intervention, the morcha passed through the original route proposed by the organisers.


The rally was organised by MNS and other pro-Marathi groups the aegis of Marathi Ekikaran Samiti to counter a protest staged by traders recently against the slapping of a food stall owner by MNS activists for not speaking Marathi, officials said.


The situation became tense when police started detaining protesters raising slogans for protecting the 'Marathi asmita' (pride). Some of them were picked up by the police while they were addressing the media.


Several functionaries of MNS were detained from midnight.


Television channels flashed images of women being bundled into police vans while they were shouting slogans against the "high-handedness" of the police. Several activists were detained inside a banquet hall to prevent them from reaching the protest venue.


CM’s damage control

As high drama unfolded on the streets, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis moved in to contain the potential political damage.


He said permission had been granted for the rally but the MNS insisted on a specific route which posed law and order challenges.


"If they ask for permission for a proper route, we will give permission today and even tomorrow. Another organisation held a rally on the route approved by the police, but these people remained adamant on a particular route," he told reporters in Mumbai.


The groundswell of support for the Marathi cause prompted Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik to criticise the police for "uncalled action" which is not in line with any government directive.


"The police's action was completely wrong. The government has not issued any such instructions to suppress a peaceful morcha in support of Marathi interests," Sarnaik told reporters and asserted that he would discuss the matter with the chief minister.


"This kind of attitude by the police is unwarranted, and if the Marathi-speaking people had sought permission for a peaceful morcha, the police should have permitted them," he said.


Sarnaik joined the protest march in the afternoon.


Enthusiastic march

Thousands of people holding placards, flags and wearing white caps emblazoned with "Me Marathi" slogans, walked enthusiastically on the streets in Mira Road and adjoining Bhayandar.


Several women, workers of the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) walked together, united by the Marathi cause.


Many people at the spot directed their ire towards the BJP-led government, accusing it of allowing traders to take out a rally a few days back in the same area while denying permission to Marathi people.


"Common people will teach a lesson to them (BJP-led government) in the coming days for their hatred towards Marathi people", a protester said.


Sana Deshmukh, wearing a hijab, said the Marathi people won't let the government suppress their voice.


People marched peacefully through the main streets from Balaji Square to the Major Kaustubh Rane memorial in front of the Mira Road railway station.


The row over the "imposition" of language in primary schools of Maharashtra has snowballed into a major political flash point ahead of civic polls after MNS activists slapped a food stall owner in the Bhayander area for not speaking Marathi.


Meanwhile, the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar Police has released MNS leader Avinash Jadhav and hundreds of activists detained earlier, DCP (Zone I) Prakash Gaikwad said.


"We had not permitted the morcha earlier and not even now," he told reporters.


“If you listen to the complete statement of Nishikant Dubey, he particularly spoke about an organisation and not against Marathi people in general. However, in my opinion, it is inappropriate to make such comments. Its interpretation causes confusion among the minds of people. I feel no one can reject the contribution of Maharashtra and Marathi people in the history and present of the country. If someone is rejecting it, then I feel it is wrong.”

Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister

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