Saffron alliance captures power in Nagpur civic body

Nagpur, Mar 5 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena alliance has captured power in Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), with its candidates being elected to the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor here today.

Deorao Umredkar of the BJP was elected Mayor, polling 71 votes and defeating his only rival Deepak Pendam of the Republican Party of India (RPI), which is part of the Congress-NCP led Secular Democratic Front, who polled 60 votes. There were four abstentions.

Kishore Kumeria of the Shiv Sena was elected Deputy Mayor, polling 71 votes and defeating his only rival Kameel Ansari of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), who polled 57 votes. There were seven abstentions.

Significantly, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which has two members, voted in favour of the Congress-NCP combine.

The present strength of the house is 135, with one vacancy, as the election to one ward in the February one civic polls was countermanded after the death of the NCP candidate there.

Earlier, three of the five candidates, who had filed their nominations for the election to the post of Mayor and four of the six who had entered the fray for the post of Deputy Mayor, withdrew from the contest today, making it a straight fight. The post of Mayor in NMC is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) while that of his deputy is open.

The BJP, on Saturday, formally registered a separate political front in the general body of NMC with the office of the Divisional Commissioner here. The party had submitted letters of support from 71 councillors in the House, including 55 of the BJP, 8 of the Shiv Sena, 3 of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and 5 independents.

The Congress and NCP have founded the Secular Democratic Front with like-minded parties. The party-wise strength in the general body of NMC is - BJP 55, Shiv Sena 8, Congress 33, NCP 8, BSP 5, RJD 3, MNS 2, Independents 10 and others 11. The 16 members of the standing committee will also be nominated today, with each group in the House being given representation proportionate to its strength.

UNI