Mumbai: Political tensions flared at the Mantralaya in Mumbai on Thursday after the Urban Development Department conducted the lottery to determine reservations for the mayoral posts across Maharashtra’s 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The opposition, led by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar, staged a walkout in protest, alleging the process was biased and unjust to the OBC and ST communities.
Kishori Pednekar Raises Strong Objection At Mayor Lottery
Following the announcement, which confirmed that the Mumbai Mayor’s post will be reserved for the ‘General’ category in the upcoming term, opposition leaders raised strong objections. Pednekar accused the state government of deliberately excluding representatives from areas with major OBC populations during the lottery process.
“There are many areas in Mumbai where the OBC community resides. However, no chits bearing the names of their representatives were included in the lottery. This is wrong and unacceptable,” Pednekar told reporters after the walkout. She further alleged that the draw was conducted with a 'pre-decided intent' and termed it an 'injustice to OBCs and STs.'
“Injustice has been done to the OBC community. We strongly condemn the lottery system. This process was deliberately designed to deny fair representation,” she said, adding that the opposition would continue to oppose the decision.
Mumbai To See Woman Mayor From General Category
Despite the controversy, the reservation lottery has paved the way for the next stage in the high-stakes race for Mumbai’s ‘First Citizen’. With the mayor’s post reserved for the General category, the BMC is now expected to have a woman mayor in the upcoming term, as per existing civic norms and rotation policies.
The formal election for the mayor is scheduled to be held on January 28, when the newly elected 227 corporators will cast their votes. The reservation announcement comes in the backdrop of a major political shift in Mumbai’s civic power structure.
The BMC elections, held on January 15, marked a turning point in the city’s politics. For the first time in nearly 30 years, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena lost its long-standing dominance over the civic body. According to the final results declared on January 16, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while its ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, secured 29 seats.
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