Days after 1 vote win, new Chandrapur Mayor takes charge; some BJP corporators skip event

On Tuesday, the BJP, with support from Shiv Sena UBT corporators, managed to install its mayor in Chandrapur despite the Congress emerging as the largest party in the January 15 civic elections.

Two days after her dramatic one vote victory amid high political drama, the newly-elected Chandrapur Mayor Sangeeta Khandekar took charge of the post on Thursday evening in the presence of BJP MLA and former Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. Workers of the BJP, the party to which Khandekar belongs, cheered loudly as she assumed charge of the Mayor's post at the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation (CMC) headquarters after taking oath as the city's 'first citizen' in the presence of civic commissioner Akunuri Naresh. However, corporators considered close to another BJP MLA, Kishore Jorgewar, boycotted the event, claiming he was not invited for the programme, bringing to the fore internal dissension in the saffron outfit. Besides Khandekar, Deputy Mayor Prashant Danav, a Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator, also took charge of the post. Nearly a dozen BJP corporators, all supporters of MLA Jorgewar, boycotted the programme. They walked out of the Mayor's office where Mungantiwar was also present. On Tuesday, the BJP, with support from Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators, managed to install its mayor in Chandrapur despite the Congress emerging as the largest party in the January 15 civic elections. BJP corporator Khandekar won the election by a single vote, defeating Congress candidate Vaishali Mahadule. Khandekar's election was the result of a surprise alliance between pre-poll rivals Shiv Sena (UBT) and the BJP. The development raised serious questions over Opposition unity and credibility of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), where the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) are allies. Chandrapur was one of the few municipal corporations where the Congress emerged as the largest party and was poised to secure the mayor's post. In the elections for the 66-member CMC, the Congress won 27 seats, followed closely by the BJP with 23 seats and the Shiv Sena-UBT (6).

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