Pune: As expected, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator Chanchala Kodre became the next city mayor on Thursday. Kodre received 83 votes and defeated Sonam Jhende of Shiv Sena by 42 votes. Jhende polled 41 votes. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena abstained from voting.
After the resignation of Vaishali Bankar, the post of mayor fell vacant and election for the post was held on Thursday at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hall of the PMC.
Additional collector Ganesh Patil presided over the election proceedings. Laxmitai Ghodke of the Congress filed her nomination for the election, but withdrew the same, ensuring a straight fight between Kodre and Jhende.
The largest party in the PMC, NCP has a strength of 54 while Congress has 28, BJP 26, Shiv Sena 15 and MNS 28 corporators. NCP celebrated Kodre’s election soon after Patil announced the name.
NCP city unit president and Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan, MLC Anil Bhosale, Sharad Ranpise, MLA Bapu Pathare, MLC Deepti Chavdhary, Mhada president Ankush Kakade and Pathak congratulated the newly-elected mayor Chanchala Kodre.
There were seven women mayors before Chanchala Kodre: Kamal Vyavahare, Vatsala Andekar, Vandana Chavan, Deepti Chavdhary, Rajani Tribhuvan, Rajlaxmi Bhosale and Vaishali Bankar. Addressing her first meeting as mayor, Kodre appealed to all corporators to work for the city as the election is over.
She said the Kodre family was in politics and social life for six decades, which resulted in her success today. Kodre is elected from Mundhwa Ward number 20A and is a first-time corporator. She is a double graduate and completed her education in the English medium. Outgoing mayor Vaishali Bankar could not control her feelings and was in tears while addressing the special general body meeting after Kodre’s election to the post.
DNA
