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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.

The Sultans of Solapur

Updated: Oct 25, 2024

Sushilkumar Shinde

Sushilkumar Shinde’s recently released memoir reveals lesser-known and interesting facets of India’s political history and politicians as well as the social and political developments over the past five decades that Shinde has witnessed as a politician. Born to a cobbler in Solapur, Shinde rose to become India’s Home Minister, the chief minister of Maharashtra and the Governor of Andhra Pradesh during his 50 year-long political career.


 A law graduate from Kolhapur’s Shivaji University, Shinde began his professional life as a bailiff in a Solapur court and then joined the police force as a sub-inspector. But life had other plans. His senior by eight months, Sharad Pawar had urged Shinde to join politics. Which he did and later went on to occupy several high positions in the country.


 Shinde won elections to the legislative assembly from Solapur from 1974 and given his dedication to the party, was put in-charge of Sonia Gandhi’s election campaign in Amethi in 1999. Her thumping victory is said to have consolidated his close association with the Gandhi family and the Congress, a party he has stayed loyal to. On his party bosses’ insistence, Shinde had unsuccessfully contested the vice-presidential elections against the National Democratic Alliance’s candidate in 2002. In 2003, he became the first Dalit to occupy the post of the chief minister of Maharashtra after his predecessor Vilasrao Deshmukh resigned. Until then, political parties had stuck to members of the Maratha community as their chief ministerial picks given the caste structure in the state.


 After a stint as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh in 2004, Shinde moved to Delhi and became the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was the Union Power Minister and even led the prestigious and sensitive Home ministry. His tenure as the country’s home minister saw two major decisions—the hanging of Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab.


 Affable and soft spoken, the light eyed politician from Solapur has friends across political parties and few foes. He shared a close rapport with Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and continues to be friends with Pawar. His warm relationship with Vilasrao Deshmukh had apparently earned them the sobriquet of do hanson ka joda because each would recommend the other’s name for the state’s top job whenever the Congress was scouting for a change of guard in Maharashtra.


 While his two older daughters stayed away from public life, the former minister’s youngest daughter Praniti followed her father into politics, taking baby steps into public life with an NGO that worked with the women of Solapur. She won her first election in 2009 and has, since then, been a three-time legislator and first time MP from Solapur, a constituency nurtured by her father.

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