Maharashtra: Row Erupts As BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani Presides Over Mumbai Mayoral Election

Mumbai: The mayoral election process was conducted by BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani in the BMC's historic Committee Hall in his capacity as the state-appointed presiding officer. A confrontation quickly erupted over the appointment of BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani as the presiding officer.

Raising a point of order, Shiv Sena (UBT) group leader Kishori Pednekar objected to the commissioner presiding over the election. “We have many senior corporators, including Shraddha Jadhav, who has been elected for the seventh time. While all corporators will work for the city’s development, the commissioner should not have been placed on the dais as presiding officer, as per the rules,” she argued.

Gagrani responded by citing a recent state government resolution, which authorises commissioners to preside over the election of the mayor and deputy mayor at a special meeting of newly elected corporators. With the ruling clarifying the procedure, the Opposition’s challenge was effectively closed. Shiv Sena (UBT) chose not to field a candidate, following which Gagrani formally declared Tawde elected unopposed.

In a similar uncontested outcome, Ghadi was appointed deputy mayor. The House, however, remained restive. Congress corporators staged a protest over the city’s deteriorating air quality, entering the chamber wearing masks. Amid the din, Tawde proceeded with her maiden mayoral address, underscoring her intent to focus on civic issues despite the disruptions.

Tensions flared again when deputy mayor Ghadi rose to speak. Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators tore up his prepared speech, raised slogans of “50 khoke ekdam okay,” and staged a walkout. Ghadi, once a member of the undivided Shiv Sena, had joined the Eknath Shinde-led faction after the party split, a move that continues to rankle the UBT camp and added to the day’s acrimony.

For the BJP, the moment carried historical resonance. Its first and only mayor before Tawde, Prabhakar Pai, held office in 1982–83. Four decades later, Tawde’s unopposed election marks not just a personal milestone but a watershed in Mumbai’s civic politics, with the BJP firmly staking its claim over the city’s most powerful municipal institution.

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