KALYAN: The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena emerged as the largest winner in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation’s (KDMC) ward committee chairperson elections held on Wednesday, securing five of the 10 posts.The BJP won four posts, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) secured one, with its candidate Sheetal Mandhari elected unopposed.The outcome triggered a political war of words, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) accusing the BJP of changing its stand on the MNS after extending support to Mandhari.The Shinde Sena and BJP are allies in the KDMC. The MNS, which has five members supporting the Shinde Sena, was accommodated with one ward committee chairperson’s post as part of the arrangement.The election proceedings were conducted in the presence of Thane district collector Krishna Panchal. Candidates from the Shinde Sena, BJP and MNS secured the posts, with several elections concluded unopposed following withdrawals or the absence of rival nominations.The Shinde Sena won the A, J, G and E ward committee chairperson posts, along with the B ward committee post, where Supriya Bhoir was elected. Bandesh Jadhav won from A ward, Darshana Kale from J ward, Suraj Marathe from G ward and Arjun Patil from E ward.The BJP secured the I, F, C and H ward committee posts. Saroj Rai won from I ward and Manda Patil from F ward, while Meghali Khema and Ravina Mhatre were elected from C and H wards, respectively.Mandhari was elected unopposed as chairperson of D ward committee, giving the MNS one post in the civic body.In C ward, three nominations had been filed. Shiv Sena candidate Pratik Penkar and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate Rameez Maniyar withdrew their nominations, paving the way for BJP’s Meghali Khema to be elected unopposed.Similarly, MNS candidate Sandesh Patil and Shiv Sena candidate Rekha Mhatre withdrew from the H ward contest, resulting in BJP’s Ravina Mhatre’s unopposed election.In G ward, BJP candidate Kavita Mhatre withdrew, allowing the Shinde Sena’s Suraj Marathe to win unopposed. In E ward, BJP candidate Ravina Mali’s withdrawal cleared the way for Shiv Sena’s Arjun Patil.The Shiv Sena (UBT), which fielded candidates for the B and I ward committees, failed to secure either post. The B ward post went to Shiv Sena candidate Supriya Bhoir, while the BJP won I ward.
Uddhav Sena targets BJP over MNS support
Reacting to Mandhari’s unopposed election, Shiv Sena (UBT) group leader Umesh Borgaonkar criticised the BJP for supporting an MNS candidate despite its earlier statements that it would not share power with the Raj Thackeray-led party.Borgaonkar questioned how the BJP could extend support to the MNS despite allegations that MNS leaders had insulted BJP leaders. He also claimed that BJP leaders had earlier maintained that the MNS should be kept out of the civic administration’s power structure.Accusing the BJP of adopting inconsistent positions for the sake of power, Borgaonkar said the party’s support for Mandhari contradicted its earlier stand.The distribution of the 10 ward committee chairperson posts reinforces the Shinde Sena’s position as the largest bloc among the winners, while the BJP has secured four committees and the MNS has gained a foothold through its single post.
