Sena nominates Mahsin Haidar to BMC

Mumbai, June 21 (UNI) The Shiv Sena has chosen Mahsin Haidar, a former Samajwadi Party councillor, to be nominated as a member of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

In a dramatic turn of events today, Shiv Sena councillors today supported the candidature of Mr Haider to be a nominated member of the BMC.

According to rules, to be a nominated member of the House, the candidate must have the support of at least 40 elected members in the House of 228.

The Shiv Sena and Congress were eligible to have two members each to be nominated to the House while the BJP could have one. The Shiv Sena's choice of nominated members were Vandana Shinde and Mohsin Haider, while the Congress nominated Sunil Gangwani and Shivji Singh. The BJP named Dilip Hazare as its candidate.

Mr Haider received flak from Muslim councillors -- Waqarunnisa Ansari and Amin Patel -- who castigated him for receiving the support of the Shiv Sena. ''I had sought the support of the Congress and the Shiv Sena, but the Congress declined to support me while the Shiv Sena gave unconditional support,'' Mr Haider clarified.

He, however, made it clear that he did not have any intentions of changing his party affiliation and would work for the Samajwadi Party only.

The Congress camp too witnessed some angry outbursts. Minister of State Suresh Shetty had recommended the name of Sandesh Kondvilkar instead of Mr Gangwani, and had even written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilsrao Deshmukh in this regard. There was commotion and sloganeering in the House when Municipal Commissioner J Pathak nominated Gangwani. Meanwhile, Mumbai Congress president Gurudas Kamat had written to Opposition leader Raj Hans Singh regarding support to Gangwani and Singh.

UNI