Mayor slapped, pandemonium in NMMC

Tension had started building up early in the day, with two factions of the ruling Shiv Sena – one owing allegiance to former mayor Sushma Dande and the other to the Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik – ranged against each other for the six vacancies in the transport committee. In all, seventeen nominations were received by the polling officer.

After mayor Rane set the poll process in motion, it was repeatedly interrupted to allow withdrawals. After several such disruptions when polling finally began, Sena corporator Pappu Sawant suddenly rose and snatched a bunch of ballot papers from a polling officer and walked into the House tearing them into bits.

There was an uproar in the House. Corporators cutting across party lines were on their feet demanding an explanation. The mayor observed silently as Sawant roamed around smiling at fellow corporators. An incensed Sudam Hiwarkar of Congress-I at this point of time pointed towards the mayor and said: “This man has no brains (tyanna akkal nahin).”

This led to a fresh round of shouting. Sushma Dande sought an apology from Hiwarkar and threatened to throw him out. As tempers rose, Rane adjourned the House. Even as the mayor, the civic officials and people in the spectators’ gallery stood up to sing the National Anthem, several corporators remained seated.

Soon after, Rane trooped out with a handful of corporators. However, Sena’s Tukaram Naik, younger brother of Ganesh Naik, blocked the exit and prevented others from leaving. He shouted: “The session is not over yet, the elections will take place.” He was joined by Sashikant Birajdar, Budhaji Bhoir, Sham Mahadik and Sanjeev Naik. Together they forced deputy Mayor Gopinath Thakur to occupy the mayor’s chair and asked him conduct the polls. Municipal secretary, C Devkar, the commissioner and his deputies were also prevented from leaving. While Devkar resisted attempts to force him to conduct the proceedings, he was pushed into his chair and was held there by Tukaram Naik.

The acting mayor then ordered breaking open of the ballot box. It was found that 49 ballots were cast and the following six were declared elected: J D Koli (Cong), Bharat Nakhate, Yashwant Patil, Narayan Mhatre, Sarjerao Yadav (all Sena group led by Ganesh Naik) and Ananta Bhoir (Independent).

In all 27 Sena corporators, 13 of Congress-I and and eight independents participated in this exercise.

All the newly elected transport committee members were felicitated by the presiding officer, the opposition and the Independents. Deputy mayor Gopinath Thakur announced at the end of the session that the House stood adjourned till June 24 when the remaining items on the day’s agenda would be taken up.