Bhayandar:It will be a straight fight between the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the BJP for the mayoral election in the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) scheduled to be held on Wednesday (February 26).
Senior BJP corporator Jyotsna Hasnale will lock horns with Shiv Sena’sAnant Shirke. The mayoral post has been reserved for the scheduled caste (SC) category for the remaining two-and-a-half-year-tenure in the 5-year term of the civic body.
Meanwhile, three corporators -- Hasmukh Gehlot, Madan Singh (both BJP) and senior Congress leader Merlyn D’sa -- have filed nominations for the deputy mayor’s post, confirmed an official of the municipal secretary’s office.
Nominations can be withdrawn till election time.
With 61 of the 95 seats, the BJP seems to have an upper hand. However, the poll might throw up an interesting scenario as the Shiv Sena (22) and Congress (12) have teamed up as MVA to achieve a collective strength of 34 seats, which is 14 short of the magic figure. The MVA is also banking on the dissent within the BJP.
Adding fuel to speculations, more than half-a-dozen disgruntled BJP corporators had refrained from joining their party’s trip to Goa, however, the fact that a few of their own corporators are said to be hands-in-glove with the rival camp, the local Congress and Sena leadership is also struggling hard to keep their flock together.
