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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.

Will Shreyas Iyer Crawl Back into the Good Books?

Shreyas Iyer – the cricketing equivalent of that friend who keeps getting invited to parties but then spends the whole night awkwardly nursing a drink in the corner. Once hailed as India’s middle-order messiah, Shreyas has now become the poster boy for the BCCI selectors’ favorite pastime: the art of the inexplicable snub. As of September 2025, with the Asia Cup squad announcement still fresh like a bad breakup, one can’t help but wonder: will this talented batsman ever regain the favor of the Board of Control for Cricket in India?


Shreyas burst onto the scene in 2021 like a firecracker at Diwali – debuting in all formats, scoring fifties on debut, and even captaining the side in ODIs and Tests. It was the stuff of Bollywood dreams: the underdog rising to glory. But oh, how the selectors love a plot twist. By late 2023, after a string of back injuries and a batting slump that made his average look like a sad puppy’s face (187 runs in 12 Test innings at 17), he was unceremoniously dropped from the Test team. Drop number one: the classic “form dip” excuse. Fair enough, you might say – cricket’s a results game. But wait, there’s more!


Enter 2024, the year Shreyas decided to test the BCCI’s loyalty by prioritizing IPL and international commitments over domestic cricket. Big mistake. The BCCI, in a move straight out of a petty soap opera, stripped him of his central contract. Ignore number one (or drop number two, depending on how you slice it): no pay packet for you, Mr. Iyer! Fans were baffled – here was a guy who’d led India to victories, yet he was treated like he’d forgotten to bow to the selection committee. Ishan Kishan joined him in contract exile for similar “crimes,” but while Kishan clawed his way back, Shreyas spent months in the wilderness, probably wondering if he’d accidentally offended the cricket gods by choosing the wrong brand of bat.


Fast-forward to April 2025, and huzzah! Shreyas regains his Grade B central contract, a modest comeback that felt like being promoted from economy to business class – still not first, but better than steerage. Relief all around, right? Wrong. Just a month later, in May 2025, the selectors drop the hammer again: he’s omitted from the England tour squad after another lean patch. Drop number three: because apparently, one good domestic stint isn’t enough to erase the ghosts of past failures. At this point, Shreyas must be thinking, “Guys, I’m batting for KKR in IPL, scoring boundaries like it’s going out of style – what’s a man gotta do?” But no, the committee, led by the ever-enigmatic Ajit Agarkar, decided it was time for “fresh blood” or whatever euphemism they use for “we’re bored of you.”


And then, the pièce de résistance – or should I say, the snub de la snub – arrives in August 2025. Despite a stellar IPL 2025 where he smashed 604 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 175.07 (that’s code for “I’m on fire, selectors!”), Shreyas is left out of the Asia Cup squad. Drop number four, and this one’s a doozy. Fans exploded on social media, calling it “dirty politics” and “shame on BCCI.” Experts like Irfan Pathan backed him, saying there’s “no doubt” about his class, yet here he is, snubbed harder than a blind date who shows up in flip-flops. The omission was so shocking it made the list of “5 shocking exclusions,” right alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. Shreyas himself broke his silence recently, admitting it’s “frustrating” – understatement of the century, buddy. Imagine training your life away, only to be told, “Nah, we’re good with the other middle-order options who… well, exist.”


So, tallying it up: at least four major drops or ignores in the last two years alone – from Tests in 2023, central contract in 2024, England tour in 2025, and now Asia Cup. That’s not a career; that’s a revolving door with a “No Entry” sign for Shreyas. The selectors seem to treat him like a yo-yo: up for a bit, then down faster than India’s stock market on a bad day. Is it form? Politics? Or just the BCCI’s way of keeping things spicy? One can’t help but chuckle at the irony – a player who’s captained India A multiple times (like the recent multi-day series against Australia A in September 2025, where he’s leading despite the snub) is somehow not “ready” for the big leagues. Meanwhile, rumors swirl of a possible Test comeback against West Indies. Oh, joy – another chance to be dropped!


(The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

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