Troubles in both camps but Sena favourite to retain Mayor’s post

Five Sena corporators have gone missing or have refused to accept the party whip but troubles hit the Congress-NCP camp,too,with the MNS and the Samajwadi Party deciding at the last minute that they would skip Tuesday’s poll.

The Sena has fielded Shraddha Jadhav,four-term corporator from Antop Hill,for the Mayor’s post and the BJP has nominated Shailaja Girkar for the Deputy Mayor’s chair. Narayan Rane aide Prescila Kadam is the Congress candidate for the Mayor’s post while the NCP has fielded Vidya Chavan for the deputy’s post.

The BMC,with a budget over Rs 19,000 crore,is crucial to the Sena’s hopes of retaining its clout in Mumbai after the Lok Sabha and Assembly poll setbacks. Sena chief Bal Thackeray has taken a personal interest in the mayoral election.

The BMC has a total of 227 seats but two are vacant due to disqualification of corporators while one Congress corporator does not have voting rights. The breakup of the 224 voters is Sena 86,BJP 29,Congress 82,NCP 14,SP 7 and MNS 6.

The Congress-NCP had hoped to win the Mayor’s seat with the support of the MNS and the SP but these plans were set back at the last minute. “Our candidates will mostly stay absent and not participate in the election,” said MNS general secretary Nitin Sardesai. Samajwadi Party’s Abu Azmi said his party corporators would do the same.

This “neutral stand” was a shot in the arm of the Sena,which had been jittery with some disgruntled corporators having stayed away from a party meeting headed by Thackeray. The Akhil Bhartiya Sena,an ally of the Shiv Sena in BMC,has also been noncommittal about the support of its two members. Its corporator Geeta Gawli had met Nitesh Rane and sparked rumours of possible cross-voting.

Monday was difficult for Sena with three of its corporators “going missing”. Chaya Bhanji,Kshitija Pujari and Sena-backed Independent Adolf D’Souza could not be traced by Sena leaders. Bhanji’s son Punit even filed a missing complaint with the Versova police. Again,corporators Snehal Jadhav and Geeta Gawli have not accepted the whip issued by the Sena leadership that they vote for the party candidate.

However,once the SP and the MNS made their stands clear,the gloom lifted from the Sena camp. “There have been problems but it will be an easy win. The difference is of 13 votes and the Congress will not be able to bridge such a large gap,” said Sena corporator Raja Chowgule,in charge of the elections. The Congress was still optimistic. “We will manage to ensure our candidates’ victory,” said Congress leader in the BMC Rajhans Singh.

THE VETERAN,
Shraddha Jadhav,Shiv Sena

Background: After first year B Com,joined politics in 1992. Elected corporator from Parel as an Independent candidate in 1992,joined Sena,elected corporator three more times

Priorities: Says too early to have “any concrete plans for Mumbai in mind”,but stresses solution to water crisis. “I will ensure work on JNNURM-funded projects are speeded up.”

THE GREENHORN
Prescila Kadam,Congress Background: SSC pass,joined politics in 2007 because of husband,ex-corporator Anil Kadam. Elected corporator from Wadala East in 2007

Priorities: “Employment and power crisis need to be looked into urgently,” says the corporator. Like Jadhav,says the late announcement of her candidature hasn’t left her time to make major plans,but mentions water crisis

PARTING SHOT
Outgoing mayor Shubha Raul is satisfied about two achievements: eco-friendly Ganesh festival by setting up artificial ponds and ban on hookah parlours during her tenure. Feels Mayor should have more powers. Her tenure had been controversial: she wanted Ganesh idol height reduced,adopted a cow and kept it in her bungalow without licence and went on seven foreign tours apart from cracking down on hookah parlours

POLLING
Corporators will raise hands and call out choices

VOTER FROM JAIL
Shiv Sena’s Bhuleshwar corporator Vijay Anand Vashirde (60) will arrive from jail to cast his vote. Vashirde was arrested under MCOCA in March for alleged extortion. Sena leader Sunil Prabhu said an application has been made to court. Vashirde earlier voted in a civic committee election

NEW IN CHAIR
Swadheen Kshatriya will take over as Municipal Commissioner soon. Relieved as principal Secretary to the CM. BMC has been without a chief for over a month after Jairaj Phatak moved to New Delhi; R A Rajeev was acting Commissioner

Kshatriya,born 1957,is an IAS officer of 1980 batch. Was earlier principal secretary for housing,commissioner of sales tax. As general manager of BEST,helped reduced its losses by 99.7 per cent. Speaks Hindi,Marathi,English and Russian