Nashik: After the results of elections to 29 municipal corporations in the state were declared, the draw for reservation of mayoral posts was held today at Mantralaya. According to the draw, the post of Mayor in the Nashik Municipal Corporation will be reserved for a Woman from the General (Open) category. Similarly, the mayoral posts in Malegaon and Dhule Municipal Corporations will also be reserved for the General category. In Jalgaon, an OBC woman will assume the post of Mayor.
A total of 122 corporators have been elected from 31 wards in the Nashik Municipal Corporation. The party-wise strength is as follows: BJP – 72, Shiv Sena – 26, Shiv Sena (UBT) – 15, Nationalist Congress Party – 4, Congress – 3, and MNS and Independents – 1 each.
As the BJP is set to form the government on its own, intense lobbying for the mayoral post in Nashik is inevitable. However, since the final decision on the Mayor will rest entirely with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, the aspirations of contenders will depend on the decisions of these two leaders.
ISLAM Party Dominance in Malegaon
In the 81-member Malegaon Municipal Corporation, the Islam Party, led by former MLA Asif Shaikh, has emerged dominant in the elections. The party has secured 35 seats, and along with the Samajwadi Party under the Secular Front alliance, their combined strength has reached 40. With the assured support of three Congress corporators, achieving the majority mark of 43 has become easier for the alliance.
On the other hand, while AIMIM has won 20 seats and Shiv Sena has secured 18 seats, the possibility of an alliance between them appears unlikely at present. Naturally, the prospects of the Islam Party capturing power in Malegaon have become very strong.
With the BJP establishing undisputed dominance in Dhule and Jalgaon, it is certain that the mayors in both these cities will be from the BJP.
