13 nominations filed for Nashik Mayors post, 11 for deputy

As many as 13 nominations have been filed for the post of Mayor of the BJP-ruled Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) in Maharashtra, which has seen political realignment after the last month's assembly polls.

Eleven nomination forms have been filed for the Deputy Mayors post.

The election for the twin posts will be held on November 22.

Wednesday was the last day to file nominations for the two posts.

Scrutiny of the nomination forms will be held on the voting day itself and candidates will be given time to withdraw from the race the same day, NMC officials said.

Corporators will take part in voting to elect the next Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

The highest number of nominations for the Mayors post have been received from the BJP (8) followed by the Shiv Sena (4) and the Congress (1), the officials said.

For the Deputy Mayors post too, the highest number of nominations have been received from the BJP (7) followed by the Congress (2), the Shiv Sena (1) and the NCP (1), they said.

Candidates in fray for the Mayors post are Kamlesh Bodke, Ganesh Gite, Bhikubai Bagul, Dinkar Adhav, Shashikant Jadhav and Satish Kulkarni (all BJP); Ajay Boraste, Sudhakar Badgujar, Vilas Shinde and Satyabhama Gadekar (all Shiv Sena) and Rahul Dive (Congress).

Adhav and Jadhav of the BJP have filed two nominations each.

Candidates in fray for the Deputy Mayors post are: Kamlesh Bodke, Ganesh Gite, Sunita Pingle, Arun Pawar, Alka Ahire and Bhikubai Bagul (all BJP); Shahu Khaire and Hemlata Patil (Congress); Sufiyan Jeen (NCP) and Vilas Shinde (Shiv Sena). Ahire of the BJP has filed two nomination forms.

The BJP, with 65 seats, enjoys a clear majority in the 120-member civic body, but the the election for the two posts haS acquired significance in the view of changed political equations in the state.

The BJP and the Sena have parted ways after fighting the last month't assembly election together. Differences cropped up between the two saffron parties over sharing the chief minister's post.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party is now making efforts to form a government in Maharashtra with help from the NCP and the Congress, its opponents in the October 21 assembly polls.

Almost all political parties have lodged their corporators in resorts outside Nashik to avoid possible horse- trading in the Mayoral elections.

After the BJP, the second largest party in the NMC is the Shiv Sena (34) followed by the Congress (6), the NCP (6), the MNS (5), Independents (3) and the RPI(A) 1.

The NMC election was held in 2017.