Ex-auto driver is new mayor of Maharashtra city

PIMPRI CHINCHWAD: Rahul Jadhav of the BJP, once a six-seater autorickshaw driver, is the new mayor of Pimpri Chinchwad.


Jadhav’s rise in the politics has been pretty impressive. Born in a farming family in the Jadhavwadi area of Chikhli village 36 years ago, he pursued formal education only up to Class X. Between 1996 and 2003, he was a six-seater autorickshaw driver.

His entry into politics was in 2006, when he started working for Mauli Jadhav, then BJP corporator. Within just six years, Jadhav got elected as the MNS corporator from Chikhli in the 2012 municipal elections. He then became a strong supporter of Mahesh Landge, the Bhosari BJP associate MLA, and joined the BJP before the 2017 municipal elections.

Jadhav got elected as BJP corporator from ward panel 2C in the February 2017. He was one of the contenders for the mayoral position back then after the BJP gained the absolute majority in the civic body. But Nitin Kalje became the first BJP mayor.

Jadhav was then nominated as the BJP member to the standing committee in February-March 2018 and was the top contender from MLA Landge’s faction for the post of the standing committee chairman. But Mamata Gaikwad bagged that post. Jadhav resigned from his position as the member of the standing committee.

Speaking to mediapersons on Saturday, Jadhav, the newly elected mayor, said, “I know my responsibility. This is an industrial city of working people. While working for the overall development of the city, I will try that the benefits reach the common man. I will also work to enhance the city’s fame.”

The election to the civic posts, necessitated by the NCP not withdrawing its candidates, was held on Saturday and 120 of the 128 corporators cast their votes. While Jadhav secured 80 votes to become the 25th mayor of Pimpri Chinchwad, his competitor — Vinod Nadhe of the NCP — managed just 33. Seven corporators remained neutral. Lone MNS corporator Sachin Chikhale, too, voted for Jadhav.

It was a two-man race for the deputy mayor’s post as well. Sachin Chinchwade of the BJP was challenged by the NCP’s

Vinaya

Tapkir. As many as 111 corporators voted in this election and nine remained neutral. Chinchwade bagged 79 votes, while Tapkir got 32.

Nayana Gunde, the chief managing director of the Pune Parivahan Mahamandal Limited, presided over the special general body meeting of the PCMC. He directed the corporators to orally state their ward number, name and candidate for whom they were voting.

Datta Sane of the NCP, the leader of the opposition in the PCMC, said, “The BJP had fought the mayor and deputy mayor elections in the previous terms when it had had very few seats. If the NCP had withdrawn its candidates, there would have been allegations that I wanted to help Jadhav, a fellow corporator from Chikhli. So, we fought the elections. Our corporator, Raju Bansode, is out of station, Sulakshana Dhar was absent due to family problems and Dabbu Aswani is abroad. So, they could not vote.”


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