City to have 23rd mayor in the new year

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The newly elected municipal corporation, consisting of 115 corporators, is expected to elect the city’s 23rd mayor by the end of January. So far, the city has seen 22 mayors. All attention now turns to who will assume the position and which category the new mayor will belong to, open category or a reserved category.

The mayor is regarded as the first citizen of the city. Very few corporators get the opportunity to hold this post. As per rules, the term of the mayor is two and a half years. In recent times, however, political parties have reduced the tenure to one to one-and-a-half quarter years to give this honour to more corporators.

During the 2015–2020 five-year term, three individuals were given the opportunity to serve as mayor. Between 2010 and 2015, only two individuals held the post. In the 2005–2010 term, three individuals served as mayor.

The city’s first mayor was Shantaram Kale, who assumed office in 1988, while Sunanda Kolhe became the city’s first woman mayor in 1995.

Focus on reservation decision

Since 1988, a total of six general elections have been held for the municipal corporation. The seventh election is scheduled to take place in January, with voting on January 15 and counting on January 16. After that, corporators from the majority party among the 115 elected members will be in line for the mayoral post.

It has not yet been announced whether this year’s mayoral post will be open to all categories or reserved. The reservation for the mayor’s post will be decided by the state’s urban development department (UDD). All eyes are on this decision regarding reservation.

Names of female mayors

Sunanda Kolhe (1995-96)

Sheela Gunjal (1998-99)

Vimal Rajput (2002-04)

Rukhmini Shinde (2004-05)

Vijaya Rahatkar (2007-10)

Anita Ghodele (2010-12)

Kala Ozha (2012-15)

Names of male mayors

Shantaram Kale (1988-89)

Moreshwar Save (1989-90)

Pradeep Jaiswal (1990-91)

Manmohansingh Oberoi (1991-92)

Ashok Sayanna Yadav (1992-93)

Gajanan Barwal (1996-97)

Abdul Rasheed Khan (Mamu) (1997-98)

Sudam Sonawane (1999-2000)

Dr Bhagwat Karad (2000-01)

Vikas Jain (2001-02)

Kishanchand Tanwani (2005-06)

Dr Bhagwat Karad (2006-07)

Tryambak Tupe (2015-16)

Bhagwan Ghadamode (2016-17)

Nandkumar Ghodele (2017-20)