Bharatiya Janata Party's corporator Dimpal Mehta has been elected as the new Mayor in Maharashtra's Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation. Her election has triggered strong opposition from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), who are demanding that only a Marathi-speaking leader should be appointed as Mayor. The Mira Bhayandar civic body has 95 corporators. Among them, the BJP holds a dominant position with 78 elected members. The Congress has 13 corporators, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) has 3, and one BJP rebel candidate also registered a victory. Notably, the rebel corporator Anil Patil has also extended support to the BJP.
Opposition front formed against BJP Candidate
The Congress and the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) had formed a joint front to challenge the BJP's strength in the mayoral contest. The BJP had fielded Dimpal Mehta, who is the sister-in-law of senior leader Narendra Mehta, as its candidate. Meanwhile, the Congress-Shiv Sena alliance nominated Rubina Khatun as their contender for the top post.
Marathi vs non-marathi row sparks political uproar
A major controversy erupted over the selection of a non-Marathi Mayor. The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti announced that it would stage a protest today and conduct a 3-kilometre-long road march opposing Dimpal Mehta's appointment. The group argues that the Mayor must be Marathi-speaking to represent the city’s majority sentiment. The BJP dismissed the allegations, claiming that the protesting groups include members of the Shiv Sena and the MNS. The party also said that the objection is not about linguistic pride but political rivalry.
