The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday declared Ghatkopar corporator Ritu Tawde as its mayoral candidate for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The announcement was made by Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam at the civic headquarters, in the presence of senior party leaders and corporators.
Meanwhile, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena nominated Sanjay Ghadi as its candidate for the post of deputy mayor, a role that carries a term of one and a half years.
The official mayoral election is set for February 11, but it is largely a procedural formality, as the BJP–Shinde-led alliance is confident of winning both positions, backed by its numbers of 118 corporators in the 227-member civic House.
Who is Ritu Tawde?
Ritu Tawde is a two-time corporator from Ghatkopar. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2012 after leaving the Congress. She represents Ward 132 and is regarded as a senior corporator and a prominent, assertive Marathi face of the party.
Tawde represents Mumbai’s eastern suburbs, a region the BJP is keen to provide greater representation to. Her name has been among the party’s frontrunners for the post of Mumbai mayor, along with Sheetal Gambhir, Rajashree Shirwadkar, Asha Marathe, Priti Satam, and Shrikala Pillai.
With the BJP stating that the mayor will be a Marathi-speaking individual, Tawde has emerged as a strong contender for the position.
Tawde, previously served as Chairperson of the BMC’s Education Committee. Known for her grassroots connections, administrative experience, and focus on Mumbai’s eastern suburbs.
If Tawde wins, as current numbers suggest she will become the BJP’s second mayor in Mumbai, following Prabhakar Pai, who held the post from 1982 to 1983.
Ahead of the official announcement, Ritu Tawde’s name had been widely speculated as a likely choice, along with that of Sion corporator Rajeshree Shirwadkar.
Tawde calls her appointment as a ‘historic moment’
Describing her nomination as a “historic moment,” Tawde expressed gratitude to the party leadership for placing their trust on her. Ameet Satam said that the new dispensation would strive to make Mumbai a corruption-free city and added that the alliance would govern with the support and blessings of the people of Mumbai.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
