Ganesh Kesarwani to grace historical chair in Mini Sadan
PRAYAGRAJ: As the new mayor of Sangam city took oath, the day also witnessed old traditions also being kept alive. As a symbol of transfer of power, outgoing mayor Abhilasha Gupta Nandi handed over a 7kg silver mace to new mayor Umesh Chandra Ganesh Kesarwani.
The ‘historical chair’ which is placed at the ‘Mini Sadan’ (House) in the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) building is equally important in the entire process of taking over the new mayoral post in Prayagraj.
The chair of the mayor is 108 years old and was designed and brought from Bareilly. The chair in the historical house has remained unchanged and is the same on which former PMs Pt Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri had occupied as chairmen of the then Allahabad Municipal Board.
Around two years before the formation of Allahabad Municipality (1914), the British had constructed the Sadan (house). After the formation of the house, a joint chair and table were installed for members.
At the same time, a special chair was brought from Bareilly for the chairman to sit. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru sat on this chair after becoming the chairman of the Allahabad Municipal Board on April 3, 1923. After Pandit Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri also sat on this chair as the chairman, albeit for a brief period in 1925.
The Municipal Corporation of Prayagraj was formed in 1959 and there were only 27 wards in the city which gradually rose to 80 and then 100 as on today.
Right since direct election of mayor started in Prayagraj (then Allahabad) in 1995, all former mayors namely Rita Bahuguna Joshi, KP Srivastava, Ch Jitendra Nath Singh and Abhilasha Gupta Nandi have graced the old wooden chair.