New Delhi: Lobbying has intensified for the BMC mayoral position. CM Devendra Fadnavis returned from Davos and is expected to discuss the matter with BJP ministers and Eknath Shinde on January 27. An important cabinet meeting is also scheduled at the Secretariat today, including a separate meeting with Shinde and Fadnavis, which is expected after the cabinet meeting.
According to the sources, the BJP clung to hold the mayoral position, while the Shiv Sena is aiming to secure the Deputy mayor and standing committee positions after failing to secure the mayor’s post.
The tug-of-war between the alliance, the BJP, and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena will be tightened up, as both want to secure the mayor position of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. The Shinde faction wants the mayor from their party, while the BJP is unwilling to relinquish the position under any circumstances.
Sources indicate that CM Fadnavis will make the final decision for the mayoral chair. Several names have come up, including Ghatkopar corporator Ritu Tawde, Bandra corporator Swapna Virendra Mhatre, and Rani Dwivedi-Nighut, who are in the race for the mayor post within the BJP. Ritu had an upper hand, as BJP leaders Praveen Darekar, Prasad Lad, and Chitra Wagh are lobbying heavily for her.
Ritu contested the election from the OBC reserved seat of Borivali, and with the backing of the Nagpur lobby, she secured the ticket to contest the election, and now the same lobby is lobbying to make her mayor. However, the party claims that the general category of women was selected in the mayoral lottery, while Nighut belongs to the OBC category, making her chances weak.
Former BJP President and cabinet minister Ashish Shelar wants to appoint his constituency’s corporator, Swapna Virendra Mhatre, as mayor. She won the election for the second time and possesses organisational experience.
In addition, the names of Rajshree Shirwadkar, Alka Kelkar, Yogita Koli, Jagruti Patil, and Tejaswini Ghosalkar are also being mentioned in the mayoral race.
A senior BJP leader claimed that the party doesn’t believe in caste politics, and with the general category, women were drawn in the lottery, and there would be no objection to electing an OBC woman as mayor.
The mayoral election has been postponed due to the incomplete registration process of corporators. Voting was originally scheduled for January 31st, but now the election is expected to be held in February.