MUMBAI, April 6: Although the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation's (UMC) mayoral elections will be held tomorrow, the victory of the Shiv Sena nominee Yashaswini Naik has already been confirmed due to the withdrawal of all other candidates in the fray.The elections to the deputy mayor's and standing committee chairman's post are also scheduled for tomorrow, and candidates of the Sena-BJP-Independents combine are expected to win comfortably. The configuration in the UMC is: SS - 17, BJP - 13, Congress - 13, RPI - 7, Ind - 5 and Ulhasnagar People's Party (UPP) - 14. The Sena is ruling with the support of BJP and Independents.
Thane-based Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe told Express Newsline, "I am confident that Naik will secure at least 40 votes." The deputy mayor's post will stay with Independent candidate Kumar Ailani for the second consecutive term. "While we have decided to keep the mayor's post, the BJP will get the standing committee chairman's post and Independents will retain the deputy mayor'schair," he said.
Dighe and Sena's UMC corporator Gopal Rajwani are being credited with getting others in the fray to withdraw in favour of Yashaswini Naik as mayor and the BJP's Prakash Makhija as standing committee chairman.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
