Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s Treasury Key: All Eyes Now On Standing Committee Chairman Post After Mayor Election

(From Our Representative)

Mumbai: Following the election of BJP’s Ritu Tawde as Mayor and Shiv Sena (Shinde)’s Sanjay Ghadi as Deputy Mayor of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, all attention is now focused on who will secure the highly significant post of Standing Committee Chairman. The announcement of the name is scheduled for February 20.

In the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, the Standing, Improvements, BEST, and Education committees are considered important, and among these, the Standing Committee is regarded as the treasury of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Therefore, political parties traditionally assign the Standing Committee Chairman post to experienced and senior corporators. In the general meeting (house) scheduled for Monday, February 16, the names of members to be sent to the Standing Committee will be announced.

When the united Shiv Sena existed and had an alliance with the BJP, the BJP never received the Standing Committee Chairman post at any time. Only the Improvements Committee Chairman post was given to the BJP. The Education and BEST Committee Chairman posts remained with Shiv Sena some years and with the BJP in other years. However, the BJP’s years-old aspiration is now likely to be fulfilled, with the Standing Committee expected to go to the BJP and the Improvements Committee Chairman post likely to go to Shinde Sena.

Since the first general meeting of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation is scheduled for Monday, the names of the House Leader and Opposition Leader will be announced. In the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 89 seats. Therefore, BJP’s Group Leader Ganesh Khankar will become the House Leader, and his name will be announced in the first general meeting. As the largest opposition party, Shiv Sena (Thackeray)’s Group Leader Kishori Pednekar’s name will be declared as Opposition Leader. At this time, the names of those to be given opportunities from each party in the Standing Committee will also be announced.

The Standing Committee has a total of 26 members. The Education Committee Chairman is also a member of the Standing Committee. This time, Shinde Sena has formed a group with both Nationalist Congress parties, so they will receive four seats in the Standing Committee. Out of the total 26, the BJP will get 10, Thackeray’s Sena will get seven, Congress will get three, AIMIM will get one, and MNS will get one membership. The number of party members in the Improvements Committee will also be proportionate accordingly.

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In the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, all financial expenditure proposals and major project proposals come to the Standing Committee for approval. The Standing Committee Chairman has significant authority. Therefore, there is intense competition for this post. Experienced corporators are included as members in the Standing Committee. The House Leader and Group Leader are members of the Standing Committee.