Make Mulund corporator Oppn leader in BMC: BJP to mayor

Mumbai BJP president Mangal Prabhat Lodha.

The BJP has staked claim on the post of the leader of Opposition in the BMC. Mumbai BJP president Mangal Prabhat Lodha has written to Mayor Kishori Pednekar and Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi seeking that the party’s nominee be declared the Opposition leader since BJP is the second-largest party in BMC after Shiv Sena. The post of Opposition leader is at present with Congress, Sena’s ally in the state government.

The BJP, in its letter on Tuesday, proposed that the corporator from Mulund, Prabhakar Shinde, be named the Opposition leader. “With 83 corporators, BJP is second largest party in BMC… We are proposing Prabhakar Tukaram Shinde’s name for the post of Opposition leader,” stated the letter.

Shinde, a former Sena corporator, had joined BJP in 2017 just before the BMC elections. In his fourth term as a corporator, Shinde was the leader of the House in 2012. However, in 2017, he quit Sena after he was denied a ticket. He is said to be close to BJP MP and corporator Manoj Kotak.

After Kotak, who is the group leader of the party in BMC, was elected as MP from Mumbai North East, BJP’s leadership has weakened in the civic body. Recently, party leaders were caught on the wrong foot when they first supported the proposal of setting up a waste to energy plant at Deonar and then alleging corruption, demanded cancellation of the tender.

When contacted, Kotak said: “The current Opposition leader has been sponsored by Sena… have failed to act as Opposition leader.”

Sena maintained that it will take legal opinion before taking any decision. “I have received the letter from BJP. I will consult with the legal department and the party leadership and then take a decision,” said Pednekar.

Ravi Raja, the leader of Opposition from the Congress, refused to give up the post. “I am Opposition leader by rule and will not quit. How can there be two Opposition leaders?” he asked. Congress has 31 corporators in the BMC.

“In 2017, the mayor had declared Ravi Raja as the Opposition leader since BJP had refused the post and chose to work as the watchdog of BMC. Unless Raja resigns, how can be a new Opposition leader be appointed?” said an official.

Meanwhile, BJP has announced members for various posts. While Malad corporator Vinod Mishra has been declared the group leader, Jogeshwari corporator Ujwala Modak is the deputy leader and Andheri corporator Pramod Yadav the chief whip. Although BJP has proposed two names for leader of the House and group leader of party, it could land into legal trouble, officials from municipal secretary department said.

As per Section 37-1(A) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, the post of Opposition leader can go to the group leader of the second largest party based on the numbers and if approved by the mayor.