BJP’s Murlidhar Mohol new Pune mayor, Sena votes for NCP candidate

Saraswati Shedge of BJP was elected deputy mayor.

Mohol replaces Mukta Tilak, whose term ended on November 21. Tilak has been elected to the state Assembly.

Mohol is considered the key force behind the recent Assembly election win of state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil from Kothrud. Patil’s candidature had triggered dissent among local party workers, who called him a “non-Brahmin” and an “outsider”. The BJP then gave Mohol, corporator from Kothrud, the responsibility of coordinating Patil’s election campaign and to get upset Shiv Sena workers to work for him.

Earlier, Mohol was made the chairperson of PMC Standing Committee in 2017-18, soon after the BJP came to power in the civic body for the first time.

The PMC has 164 corporators, of which BJP has 99.