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Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, March 16: For the first time elections to eight posts in the 16-member standing committee of Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation UMC will be held on March 19. The mayoral poll for the year-old corporation is scheduled for April 4.
The civic polls will be the first test for the Shiv Sena-BJP combine after the drubbing it received in the recent parliamentary polls.
While camps within the alliance partners are pointing fingers at each other for the debacle in the parliamentary poll, the BJP has already begun negotiating with the UPP for a possible tie-up.Observers feel that even if the factions within the BJP and Sena settle their differences, the UPP-Cong-RPI-Independent front could spoil the alliance8217;s chances for the standing committee poll. The nominations were filed on March 12 while the date for withdrawal of candidature is March 18.
Meanwhile, the three names that are doing the rounds as likely candidates for the mayorship reserved for women are Bharati Rajani BJP, Yashaswini Naik Shiv Sena and Jyoti Kalani UPP. The break-up for the 64-member House is as follows: Shiv Sena 8211; 17, UPP 8211; 14, Congress 8211; 13, BJP 8211; 13, RPI 8211; 7, Indep 8211; 5.
Observers stated that there are possibilities of cross voting in the mayoral polls and charges of horse-trading are being made. According to a well-placed source, while a vote for the mayoral poll fetches Rs 50,000, it is nearly four-times more the standing panel poll.
When the Sena and the BJP formed the alliance at the UMC it was decided that for five consecutive years it will be a Sena mayor and thestanding committee chairman8217;s post will be held by a BJP man.
However, failure by the Gopal Rajwani and Chandrakant Bodare factions in the Sena to resolve their differences may well see Bharati Rajani in the mayoral chair. A source points out, quot;Some sainiks are working hard to help her just to spite Gopal Rajwani.quot;
