Pimpri-Chinchwad: The Bharatiya Janata Party finalised corporator Ravi Landge as mayor and senior leader Sheetal, aka Veejay Shinde, as deputy mayor on Monday afternoon. However, in a dramatic turn of events, senior leader Veejay Shinde refused to accept the post of Deputy Mayor and walked out of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) building. This led the party to instead nominate Sharmila Raju Babar for the position.
According to sources, moments after the BJP leadership formally announced Ravi Babasaheb Landge’s name for the mayoral post, Veejay Shinde expressed strong displeasure over internal decision-making. Claiming he wanted the top post of mayor, he made his feelings known and reportedly walked out of the PCMC building in anger. Following his refusal, the party swiftly moved to avoid a political embarrassment and finalised Sharmila Babar’s name as deputy mayor at the very last minute.
The mayoral election is scheduled to take place on 6th February, with Ravi Landge expected to be elected as mayor and Babar as his deputy, as the BJP has 84 seats out of the total 128 seats in PCMC -- a healthy majority.|
The initial decision, announced earlier in the day by Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan, had named Ravi Landge as mayor and Veejay Gorakh Shinde as deputy mayor. However, Shinde’s sudden refusal forced a last-minute recalibration within the party.
An official communication regarding the revised decision was conveyed to BJP Pimpri-Chinchwad city president Shatrughna Kate, state general secretary Rajesh Pandey, MLAs Mahesh Landge and Shankar Jagtap, and MLCs Uma Khapare and Amit Gorkhe, sources said.
After Veejay Shinde walked out, MLAs Landge and Jagtap were quick to select Sharmila Babar.
Speaking about her appointment, MLA Mahesh Landge said on X (formerly Twitter), “Senior BJP Corporator Sharmila Babar filed her nomination for the post of Deputy Mayor of the PCMC. Under the guidance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and State President Ravindra Chavan, we will work unitedly for the sustainable development of Pimpri-Chinchwad city.”
Profile: Ravi Landge
Ravi Landge is a prominent BJP leader from the Bhosari region and belongs to a family deeply associated with the party’s rise in Pimpri-Chinchwad. He is the son of the late Babasaheb Landge, former Leader of Opposition in PCMC, and the nephew of the late Ankushrao Landge, credited with laying the BJP’s organisational foundation in the city.
Landge recently secured his corporator seat unopposed for the second consecutive term from Seat B of Ward No. 6 (Dhawade Wasti–Sadguru Nagar), a ward reserved for OBC candidates.
In August 2024, he briefly joined the Shiv Sena (UBT) amid internal differences within the BJP but later returned to the party after the Mahavikas Aghadi fielded Ajit Gavhane of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) from the Bhosari Assembly constituency.
Profile: Sharmila Raju Babar
Sharmila Raju Babar, who has now been named deputy mayor, is a senior BJP corporator from Seat C of Ward No. 15 (Nigdi Pradhikaran), which is reserved for general women candidates. A multiple-time corporator, Babar is known for her grassroots connections and focus on civic infrastructure and local development.
She had earlier won the 2017 PCMC elections from Ward No. 15, too. Within the party, she is regarded as a steady organisational leader with strong support at the ward level.
Veejay Shinde’s Exit Sparks Buzz
Veejay Shinde, popularly known as Sheetal Shinde, is considered one of the BJP’s most influential strategists in Pimpri-Chinchwad. He is a former chairman of the PCMC Standing Committee. His refusal to accept the Deputy Mayor’s post and his walkout from the PCMC building have triggered intense political chatter. Insiders pointed to dissatisfaction over internal power dynamics, saying he wanted to be a mayor.
The episode has exposed visible cracks within the ruling party’s local unit, even as the BJP moves to consolidate control over the civic body ahead of the formal election.
