Shiv Sena's Mahadeshwar is Mumbai's 76th mayor with BJP's blessing

BJP's move seen as an olive branch to the Shiv Sena to keep it in good humour

In a renewed show of bonhomie after the bitter fight, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday voted for Shiv Sena nominee Vishwanath Mahadeshwar as Mumbai mayor and Hemangi Waralikar as deputy mayor. Mahadeshwar, who is the 76th mayor of the city, got 171 votes. He defeated Congress nominee Vithal Lokare, who anyway had very little chances of winning,  as his party won only 31 out of 227 seats in the BMC elections. The Samajwadi Party with six corporators, NCP with nine and MIM with one corporator abstained from voting while the MNS' seven corporators chose to remain absent.

An independent Muslim corporator Mumtaz Rehbaar Khan, who has registered herself with the BJP as a group, did not vote for Shiv Sena and defied the party whip.

The BJP, which had opted out of the mayoral poll despite winning 82 seats -- just two short of Shiv Sena's 84 -- handed over control of Asia's richest body, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to its ally. The Sena had mobilised the support of four independents while BJP was backed by two. However, both were short of half-way mark of 114 votes.

The BJP could have abstained from voting but surprised Shiv Sena by supporting Mahadeshwar and Waralikar. The BJP's move is seen as an olive branch extended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, whose government depends on the Shiv Sena's support for a majority in the Maharashtra legislature. In the run up to the BMC poll, which BJP and Shiv Sena constested independently and acrimoniously, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had hinted that he might break his party's over two decade alliance with the BJP in the state and at the Centre.

The BJP had already announced that it would work as a watchdog of transparency and would not contest the election to the posts of mayor and chairmen of the standing committee, BEST committee, Education Committee, Improvements Committee and other committees. The party had also decided not to stake claim for the post of opposition but work for further strengthening transparency in BMC's administration.

Today's election was held with show of hands and was conducted by current mayor Snehal Ambekar. During the election, the newly-elected corporators of BJP and Shiv Sena shouted slogans.  The BJP's chant of "Modi, Modi" was countered by the Sena's "Jai Bala Saheb". The win for Sena was expected, and party workers celebrated the victory outside the BMC office in Mumbai. The BMC headquarters was specially decorated with saffron banners and flags. Thereafter, Shiv Sena corporators and party members took out a huge procession to celebrate party's victory.

In his maiden address to the corporators, Mahadeshwar raised concern over outstanding dues with the state government and said it was impacting BMC adversely in the completion of a slew of development projects in Greater Mumbai. “My priority will be to conduct coordination committee meetings between state government and BMC --something that hasn’t happened since 1999 -- for better coordination on civic issues,” he said.

Meanwhile, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party strongly criticised BJP's move to support Mahadeshwar and Waralikar, wondering whether it was a vote for mafia raj. They were referring to BJP's scathing attack against the Shiv Sena during the BMC poll, holding it responsible for the alleged mafia raj and corruption in the civic body.