Mayor-in-Council formed in Nagpur city

NAGPUR March 28: The long awaited Mayor-in-Council came into existence in the city of Nagpur, on Thursday, with Mayor Devendra Phadnavis nam...

NAGPUR March 28: The long awaited Mayor-in-Council came into existence in the city of Nagpur, on Thursday, with Mayor Devendra Phadnavis naming five members to the Council.

He named former Deputy Mayor Krishna Khopde, newcomers Dattu Thete and Sumitra Jadhav (both BJP), Anil Dhawade (Samta-Lokmanch) and Ramesh Singare (Ind) as Council members in presence of corporators, BJP leaders and its allies and Municipal Corporation officials. Surprisingly, BJP’s electoral ally in the state, the Shiv Sena was completely ignored while constituting the Council. The Council members and also BJP’s Rajiv Golhar, who was elected as the chairman of the general body at a meeting held last month, will have a one-year term. Abdul Majid, the deputy mayor, will have a one-year term.

The new team is packed with members belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBCs). They include chairman Golhar and members Khopde, Dhawade, Singare and Thete. While Majid Shola is the lone Muslim member in the BJP civic group, Sumitra Jadhav has beenelected from a civic ward in south Nagpur, which is reserved for women (SC).

Story continues below this ad

Nagpur city has earned a rare distinction. Both Mayor Devendra Phadnavis and Municipal Commissioner J S Saharia described it as a beginning of a new experiment in decentralisation of power. To a query about the Mayor-in- Council system status after defeat of the Bill in the State Legislative Council, the Municipal Commissioner said the ordinance promulgated earlier this year is still in force.

In reply to a question about allocations of portfolios and also about budget presentation, the Mayor said a decision would be taken at the first meeting of the Council within a couple of days.

The BJP city unit president Prabhakar Datke announced that Vithal Bhede, the outgoing chairman of the NMC Standing Committee, would function as the BJP civic group leader in place of Gopal Gwalani. Dayashankar Tiwari will continue as the deputy leader and Pramod Pendke will be the new whip. He said that there was no truth in the reports that therewere sharp differences within the party which delayed the naming of Council members. He also clarified that the meeting was held at Mumbai as most BJP leaders including the Guardian Minister and legislators were at Mumbai attending the legislature session.

With the induction of Anil Dhawade, Deepak Patel will be the new leader of the Samta-Lokmanch civic group. His name was announced by Sardar Atal Bahadur Singh. While Madhukar Mahakalkar will be the new leader of the group of Independents.