Dimple MBMC’s fifth woman mayor

BJP’s two-time corporator Dimple Vinod Mehta was elected as the mayor of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) on Monday.

Sister-in-law of BJP legislator Narendra Mehta Dimple received 61 votes to defeat Shiv Sena candidate Anita Patil with a margin 0f 27 votes.

Patil bagged 34, including 12 from Congress members. Chandrakant Vaity (BJP) was elected as the deputy mayor with a similar margin against his Congress rival Anil Sawant.

While the BJP had won 61 of the 95 seats in the MBMC elections held last week, the Sena remained a distant second with 22, followed by the Congress with just 12 seats.

Despite waging a lost battle the opposition Shiv Sena and Congress had teamed up to put up a brave face by fielding mutual candidates.

This is the first time the saffron outfit has won an absolute majority in the civic body, earlier considered a bastion of the NCP which has been wiped off from the political scenario of the twin-city.

A soft-spoken Dimple Mehta who is known for her simplicity, honesty and clean image will take over as the 7th mayor. She has been elected from panel number 12 in Mira Road while her deputy won the elections from panel number 13.

District collector Mahendra Kalyankar presided over by the first general body meeting as an election officer. Dimple Mehta promised to enhance civic amenities and work for the all-round development of the twin-city.

All the BJP corporators had assembled in the house for electing mayor and deputy mayor, sporting saffron turbans.