Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Jan 21: Former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar has been elected as the leader of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) corporators in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), giving the party an experienced face to lead its opposition in the country’s richest civic body.
Pednekar’s appointment comes at a politically sensitive time, with the contest for the Mumbai mayor’s post intensifying and alliance equations under strain following the recent civic poll results.
As the group leader, Pednekar will be responsible for coordinating strategy, floor management and the political stand of all Sena (UBT) corporators in the BMC. The role places her at the forefront of debates on civic governance, finances and policy, besides making her a key negotiator in confrontations with the ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Her elevation is seen as significant given her previous stint as Mumbai mayor, which has provided her with administrative experience and familiarity with the functioning of the civic body, along with credibility among party workers and officials.
Pednekar’s selection coincides with a high-voltage battle for the mayor’s post after the BJP–Shinde Sena alliance ended the Thackeray family’s decades-long dominance over the BMC. With the ruling alliance commanding a clear majority and the Sena (UBT) pushed into the opposition, the party leadership has opted for a seasoned leader to project unity and resilience.
The political backdrop has been further heated by allegations made by Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, who accused the BJP of tapping the phones of corporators, including those allegedly kept in a luxury hotel. Raut claimed that corporators were under constant surveillance and that the decision on Mumbai’s next mayor was being “dictated from Delhi”, an allegation strongly denied by the BJP.
In the BMC elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured 29, ensuring a majority for the Mahayuti alliance. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has repeatedly stated that the next mayor will be from the ruling alliance, while indicating that the post could go to a Shiv Sena face in view of Bal Thackeray’s birth centenary year.
Within this changed power balance, Pednekar is expected to rally the Sena (UBT) corporators, sharpen the party’s opposition to the ruling bloc and keep Uddhav Thackeray’s political presence visible in the BMC despite the numerical disadvantage.