Dr Shubha Raul Mayor, Vidya Thakur dy Mayor of Mumbai

Mumbai, Mar 10 (UNI) The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance candidates emerged victorious today in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corparation (BMC) Mayoral election with Dr Shubha Raul of the Shiv Sena elected as Mayor and BJP'S Vidya Thakur, Deputy Mayor.

Dr Raul, who polled 117 votes, beat Congress candidate Shital Mhatre by 17 votes.

Ms Thakur also won by a similar margin defeating NCP candidate Bharati Pisal.

The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, having a combined strength of 111, got six votes from outside and continued to maintain its stronghold in the BMC, the richest corporation in the country with a whopping annual budget of Rs 12,000 crore.

Political sources indicate that the alliance got the support of two kins of underworld don turned MLA Arun Gawli apart from four independents.

The total voting number was 217 in the 227-member House as one corporator did not turn up for voting and eight Samajwadi Party members staged a walk-out from the House and did not participate in the voting process.

The present strength of the House is 226 as one newly-elected Sena corporator was murdered recently.

Dr Raul, who is from Borivali area in North Mumbai, is the second time corporator.

For the first time in the history of BMC Mayoral election, the Mayor was elected through raising of hands by the members rather than a secret ballot.

The partywise strength in the BMC is as follows: Shiv Sena - 83 members, BJP 28, Congress 71, NCP 14, SP eight, MNS seven, RPI two, ABS two, BSP one, and rest are Independents.

UNI