Who are BJP's top 5 contenders for Mumbai mayor post
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance won the recently held Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, with the party winning 89 of 227 seats. The Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) won 29. The state announced the reservation for mayoral posts in 29 municipal corporations on Thursday. It said of the 29 bodies, 15 will have female mayors from various reserved categories, marking a significant push for women's representation in urban local governance. Here are five BJP frontrunners for the top BMC post:
Candidate profile
Ritu Tawade: Young Maratha face with strong support
Ritu Tawade, a 53-year-old Maratha leader, is among the top candidates for the BMC mayoral post. She has won her election from Ghatkopar (Ward 132) for the second time and is a popular figure even in Gujarati-majority areas. Within the party, she is seen as a strong contender for the mayoral post.
Candidate profile
Alka Kerkar: Experienced leader with deputy mayoral experience
Alka Kerkar, a 73-year-old veteran BJP leader, is also in the race for the BMC mayoral post. She was elected from Ward 98 (Bandra-Khar-Santacruz West) and will be serving her fourth term as a corporator. Her previous experience as a deputy mayor could give her an edge in the race.
Candidate profile
Tejasvi Ghosalkar: Shiv Sena defector with a huge victory
Tejasvi Ghosalkar, a 38-year-old former Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, is another strong contender for the BMC mayoral post. She switched to BJP before elections and won from Dahisar by a margin of over 10,000 votes. Her husband, Abhishek Ghosalkar, was also a late politician in the region. Rajshree Shirwadkar and Sheetal Gambhir are also being considered by the BJP for the BMC mayoral post. While Shirwadkar is a strong party worker, Gambhir has considerable political experience.