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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.

Toll Waiver to Make Impact

Updated: Nov 25, 2024

Toll Waiver

Keeping an eye on the state assembly polls, the Maharashtra cabinet took the decision of a full toll waiver for light motor vehicles at all five toll booths entering Mumbai. This decision was taken in the final cabinet meeting just a day before the elections were announced. Commuters are now travelling with small vehicles without paying tolls at Dahisar, Mulund, Vashi, Airoli, and Tin hat Naka. The toll charge was Rs 45. While announcing this decision the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, “There was a demand for the toll waiver due to the traffic jams at the toll booths. The toll waiver move will now save time, fuel and reduce pollution. It was a long pending demand to waive toll at Mumbai’s entry points. Many activists had approached the court demanding the toll waiver. Just like we implemented Laadki Bahin, Laadka Bhau and Laadka Kisan yojana, now the government has taken this “masterstroke” decision for the commuters”. Nevertheless, it was a relief for the commuters as they can now avoid a long queue at the toll nakas.


Significantly, this much discussed move of the state government came just ahead of the state assembly polls. More than six lakh vehicles cross Mumbai daily, of which 80 per cent are light motor vehicles. Rs 45 and Rs 75 were charged for light motor vehicles at any of the five toll booths. There are around 70,000 heavy vehicles travelling to and from Mumbai daily. Heavy vehicles are categorised by their gross vehicle weight exceeding 7,500 kg and include trucks, trailers, tankers and other goods carriers’ vehicles. The toll waiver is among the more than 150 decisions taken in a spate of state cabinet meetings within the span of a fortnight. Due to which the government’s intention behind this decision is underscored.


As per the expectation strong political reaction came to the fore after the announcement. The MNS chief Raj Thackeray, whose party workers have on many occasions vandalised toll booths, welcomed the Maharashtra government’s decision to waive the toll for light motor vehicles. “Congratulations to my Maharashtra soldiers. We fought hard for the demand for transparency in toll transactions. We were criticised for vandalising the toll booths but now every Mumbaikar can travel toll-free,” he had stated. He even hoped that the decision was not taken keeping in mind the upcoming assembly polls. The leaders of the opposition parties criticised the government’s decision saying it’s a poll gimmick.


The construction of these toll booths was initiated in 1999 to recover the costs of 55 flyovers built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation under the leadership of then Minister Nitin Gadkari. The toll collection began in 2002, with activists arguing that the maintenance costs and initial investments were recovered over a decade ago. Despite this, the Maharashtra government extended the toll tax recovery period for three more years until 2027, anticipating revenue of approximately Rs 11,000 crore. The toll waiver will certainly benefit around 2.8 lakh light motor vehicles daily.

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