Mumbai: Shiv Sena man re-elected as Standing Committee chairperson

While the contestants of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost, members claimed their strategy to expose the Congress as a Sena-sponsored opposition party was a success

The tripartite elections for chairpersons for the various committees in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) turned into a one-sided affair after the Congress withdrew its contestants at the last minute, and Shiv Sena won both seats for the Standing as well as Education Committees on Monday. While the contestants of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost, members claimed their strategy to expose the Congress as a Sena-sponsored opposition party was a success.

The Congress and BJP filed nominations along with Shiv Sena last week. The elections were unopposed for the past three years. But, after the Bombay High Court disposed of the petition of BJP leader Prabhakar Shinde who was seeking the post of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) on September 21, the Congress (which holds the post) decided to contest the elections.

This triggered panic in the Sena, as the BJP has just one or two less voters in every committee, and if one or two members turned their votes or the BJP voted for Congress members, the Sena could lose the election.

But, on Monday, Congress contestants withdrew their nominations. Congress members remained neutral and didn't vote, while Samajwadi Party and Nationalist Congress Party voted for Shiv Sena.

The real opposition

Yashwant Jadhav became the chairperson of the Standing Committee for the third time and Sandhya Doshi was elected Education Committee chairperson. "Our strategy proved that the Congress is a Sena sponsored opposition party. We are the real opposition party and will oppose the corruption of the ruling party as well as that of the administration," said Prabhakar Shinde, group leader of BJP in BMC.

"The BJP wanted to destabilise our government at the state level and could have voted for us to do this. That is why we withdrew from the election. If the BJP really wants to support the opposition then they should do so openly," said Ravi Raja, LoP.

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