Cong corporator elected Mini Mayor with BJP support

Nagpur: The annual election for 10 posts of Mini Mayor (zone chairpersons) in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) ended as an embarrassment for the opposition party — Congress. Gargi Chopra, Congress corporator from ward no. 10 who had supported Nitin Gadkari during Lok Sabha elections, was elected Mini Mayor of Mangalwari Zone with BJP support.
With the latest move, BJP not only succeeded in getting Chopra closer to its fold but also increased rift within Congress.
BSP regained Mini Mayor post in Ashi Nagar zone. Due to its clear majority, BJP regained the remaining eight seats.
Of the 16 corporators in Mangalwari Zone, BJP has 8, Congress 5 and BSP 3. Congress and BSP reportedly planned to contest the seat together. While BSP nominated Narendra Walde, in a surprise move BJP corporators nominated Chopra.
Chopra secured nine votes due to BJP support while Walde got three votes. Remaining four corporators of Congress did not participate in voting.
Chopra’s husband Dr Prashant was a Congress corporator in the previous two NMC regimes. In the 2017 civic elections, Congress won all four seats in ward no. 10. Immediately after elections, there was a dispute between Chopra and the other three corporators.
Dr Prashant left Congress and joined BJP the same year while Chopra remained in Congress. Couple of months ago, Congress made Chopra member of standing committee. However, Chopra and her husband reportedly campaigned for Gadkari during the LS polls, compelling leader of opposition Tanaji Wanve to issue notice to her.
After her election as Mini Mayor, Chopra thanked her husband, Gadkari and BJP MLA from West Nagpur Sudhakar Deshmukh for their support. “Currently, I am a Congress corporator and will remain with the party,” she said.
Leader of ruling party Sandip Joshi said it is a gift to Chopra for supporting their party in Lok Sabha elections. “Chopra wished to work as a Mini Mayor, so we supported her. There is nothing wrong in it,” he said.
Wanve said he was surprised after learning that BJP supported the Congress corporator in Mini Mayor election. “Congress could not have won the seat. In the end, Congress got one seat,” he said.
Congress corporator Sandip Sahare said, “Either Wanve should resign or expel Chopra from the party. Despite knowing Chopra was working for BJP since 2017, Wanve nominated her in the standing committee over other corporators of Congress,” he said.
Last year, Congress and BSP had joined hands for the Mini Mayor election in Mangalwari zone. Then Chopra had abstained from voting due to which BJP won the seat.
BSP regained Mini Mayor post in Ashi Nagar zone. Of the 16 corporators in the zone, BSP has 7, Congress 6 and BJP 3. In 2017, BJP had won the seat with the support of Congress. Last year, BSP had won the post after entering an alliance with Congress. This time, BSP and Congress fought against each other.
BSP corporator Viranka Bhivgade won by securing seven votes while Congress’ Sneha Nikose secured six votes. BJP corporators did not participate.
BJP made corporator Prakash Bhoyar Mini Mayor from Laxmi Nagar zone for the third consecutive year. Vandana Yengantwar got the post for the second consecutive time from Gandhibagh zone. Remaining six Mini Mayors from the party are first-timers.
Mini Mayors
Laxmi Nagar Zone | Prakash Bhoyar (BJP)
Dharampeth | Amar Bagde (BJP)
Hanuman Nagar | Madhuri Thakre (BJP)
Dhantoli | Lata Kadgaye (BJP)
Nehru Nagar | Samita Chakole (BJP)
Gandhibagh | Vandana Yengantwar (BJP)
Satranjipura | Abhiruchi Rajgire (BJP)
Lakadganj | Rajkumar Sahu (BJP)
Ashi Nagar | Viranka Bhivgade (BSP)
Mangalwari | Gargi Chopra (Congress)