BJP names Ritu Tawde as Mumbai mayor candidate; Sena picks Ghadi deputy
BJP names Ritu Tawde as Mumbai mayor candidate; Sena picks Ghadi deputy
Mumbai’s civic race heats up as BJP nominates Ritu Tawde for mayor and Shiv Sena backs Sanjay Ghadi for deputy, aiming for a corruption-free era in the city.
MUMBAI: The BJP on Saturday announced Ghatkopar corporator Ritu Tawde (53) as its mayoral candidate for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The announcement was made by Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam at the civic headquarters, in the presence of senior party leaders and corporators who had gathered for the meeting. Tawde’s name had been doing the rounds, along with that of Sion corporator Rajeshree Shirwadkar, in the run-up to the announcement. Meanwhile, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena named Sanjay Ghadi as its candidate for the post of deputy mayor. The deputy mayor’s term will be for one-and-a-half years. Satam said that after 44 years, Mumbai would have a BJP mayor. He added that the new dispensation would work towards making Mumbai a corruption-free city and would govern with the blessings and support of Mumbaikars. Even if the Opposition fields candidates for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor, the BJP-Shinde-led alliance is confident of winning both positions, backed by its numerical strength of 118 corporators in the 227-member civic House. On the Shiv Sena’s decision to name Ghadi as deputy mayor for a term of just one-and-a-half years, Satam said the move was aimed at giving party workers an opportunity to serve the city in that role. “We have always said that the Mumbai mayor will be a Marathi from the Mahayuti. In the coming days, our priority will be to provide Mumbai with a corruption-free administration and ensure the city’s growth with the blessings and support of Mumbaikars.”
