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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 Thackeray Temptation

In Maharashtra’s ever-theatrical political theatre, few stories stir as much intrigue as a possible reunion between the estranged Thackeray cousins Raj and Uddhav. Once comrades under the banner of the Shiv Sena, the duo split in 2006 when Raj, miffed at the dynastic elevation of Uddhav, went on to form the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Nearly two decades later, whispers of reconciliation are again in the air.


The buzz began with Raj’s appearance on filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar’s podcast Vastav Mein Truth, where he declared he was open to joining hands with Uddhav “for the betterment of Maharashtra.” The overture was couched in language appealing to regional pride and unity among Marathi leaders. Uddhav, now leading the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, responded with cautious interest. He laid out a dramatic precondition: Raj must publicly renounce the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde under oath in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.


Such symbolism is vintage Maharashtra politics: emotional, performative and heavy with historical resonance. But behind the posturing lies genuine complexity. The ideological drift between the cousins since their split is stark. Uddhav’s Shiv Sena (UBT) veered ‘leftward’ in 2019, allying with the Congress and the then undivided NCP led by Sharad Pawar to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Raj’s MNS, meanwhile, courted Hindutva, mirroring the BJP’s rhetoric, often appearing as its ideological understudy.


The cousins remain formidable orators, each commanding large crowds and inheriting the legacy of their uncle and father, Balasaheb Thackeray. But charisma has not translated equally into electoral heft. In the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Uddhav’s Sena (UBT) secured barely 20 seats while Raj’s MNS won none. For any reunion to work, both will have to confront this imbalance, and their egos.


Mutual suspicion runs deep. Uddhav’s camp views Raj’s overtures as possibly orchestrated by the BJP to sow discord. Raj, for his part, has lashed out at Uddhav’s leadership during critical moments, notably during the pandemic, accusing him of absenteeism. The scars of past betrayals are hard to heal when accusations are still fresh.


Then there is the generational angle. Uddhav’s son Aaditya Thackeray, already an MLA, is a rising face in state politics. Raj’s son, Amit, is less visible but projected as his political heir. Amit’s defeat in Mahim in the Assembly polls, ironically to a Sena (UBT) candidate, adds an edge to this family drama. Will the next generation inherit the rivalry, or transcend it?


Maharashtra’s fractured political landscape further complicates matters. The state teems with parties that don’t always win but split crucial votes, earning the moniker ‘vote katwas.’ Both MNS and Sena (UBT) have cut into each other’s base before, costing seats in close contests. A first step towards reconciliation could be an informal pact not to compete in overlapping constituencies. Such a move would signal an intent to cooperate and not just posturing.


Yet any alliance born under duress is unlikely to endure. Maharashtra’s political realignments in recent years have often been rumoured to involve nudges from central agencies. If either cousin feels forced into a truce, it will prove brittle. Genuine reconciliation must be rooted in mutual respect and shared goals, not tactical compulsion or fear of political extinction.


Despite their divergence, Raj and Uddhav share a fundamental concern: the erosion of Marathi pride in the state’s politics, increasingly shaped by outside forces and national party calculations. Both men claim to want what’s best for Maharashtra. If that’s true, they must show it not in interviews or rallies, but in quiet coordination and difficult compromise.


For now, the prospect of a full merger between MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) remains remote. But smaller steps like supporting one another on regional issues, refraining from public snipes, engaging behind closed doors, could set the stage. Maharashtra’s youth, especially those too young to remember a unified Thackeray front, are watching with interest and cynicism alike. They crave authenticity, not spectacle.


Ultimately, the cousins must decide whether their legacy will be defined by bitterness or by boldness. In politics, as in families, reconciliation is rarely easy. But it can be transformative. If Raj and Uddhav truly wish to rise above the past, they must stop looking for perfect conditions and start building imperfect trust. Time will tell whether Maharashtra gets a united Thackeray front, or just more theatrical fallout. Either way, the next act is bound to be riveting.


(The author is a political observer. Views personal.)

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