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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.

Twenty-four sugar barons test political future

Updated: Nov 12, 2024

sugar barons test

Kolhapur: During the golden age of the cooperative movement in Maharashtra, the chairmanship of a sugar factory often attracted more attention in rural politics than a seat in the Legislative Assembly. It was through the political influence of sugar mills and cotton mills that the Congress party established its foothold in rural areas across the state. However, with the decline of the cooperative movement in recent years, rural political leaders have increasingly turned their focus towards the Assembly elections. As a result, this year, a remarkable 24 sugar barons from western Maharashtra are stepping into the electoral ring to test their political future. The weight of the sugar magnates in the upcoming assembly will largely depend on how much the rural electorate values their support.


The state elections are seeing intense competition in several constituencies, with some areas witnessing a direct contest between two sugar barons, while in others, they are up against candidates from established political parties. In Kolhapur district’s Kagal constituency, the battle between sugar factory chairmen Santaji Ghorpade of the Sarsepanthi Sakhara Cooperative Sugar Mill, currently a minister, and Samrajitsingh Ghatge of the Rajarshi Shahu Cooperative Sugar Mill, widely considered a model in cooperative management, is drawing significant attention. In Shahuwadi-Panhala constituency, former minister and leader of the Warna group, Vinay Kore, is facing off against former MLA Satyajit Patil-Sarudkar.


In Radhanagari-Bhudargad, K.P. Patil of Bidri Sugar Factory, Chandradeep Narke, former MLA from Kumbhi Sugar Factory in Karveer, and Amal Mahadik, chairman of Rajaram Sugar Factory in Kolhapur South, are also locked in fierce battles with their respective rivals.


The fight in Shirol constituency, between Ganpatrao Patil of Datt Sugar Factory and Rajendra Patil-Yadravkar, former state minister and chairman of Sharad Cooperative Sugar Factory, is another key contest.


In Sangli district, the Kadegaon constituency sees Congress’s Vishwajit Kadam facing BJP’s Sangram Deshmukh. The Shirala constituency’s contest between Mansingh Naik and Satyajit Deshmukh is also one to watch closely. In Tasgaon, the high-profile contest between former MP Sanjaykaka Patil of the BJP and the son of former home minister R.R. Patil, Rohit Patil, has been the talk of the town. In Walwa, a key battle is emerging between the NCP’s state president Jayant Patil and Nishikant Patil.


In Satara district, the Karhad South constituency is witnessing a high-stakes contest between Atul Bhosale and Balasaheb Patil from Karhad North, while the battle in Patan constituency involves sitting minister Shambhuraje Desai, and Shivendra Raje Bhosale contesting from Satara city. Wai constituency sees Makrand Patil gearing up for a tough fight, while in Maan constituency, the fight between Jaykumar Gore and Prabhakar Ghatge is expected to be a neck-and-neck affair.

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