Shamim Pathan dons mantle

PUNE, March 3: Shamim Mohammedsiraj Pathan of the Congress was today elected as chairperson of the standing committee of the Pimpri-Chinc...

PUNE, March 3: Shamim Mohammedsiraj Pathan of the Congress was today elected as chairperson of the standing committee of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation PCMC. She is the second woman member to get elected to the post.

With the Congress in majority with 12 seats as against four of the opposition, Pathan8217;s election was a formality. However, the party faced a moral defeat8217; said Congress MLC Ramkrishna More, as opposition candidate Raju Golande received five votes. Apparently, one disgruntled Congress member did not vote for Pathan.

For Pathan, justice was finally done8217;, according to several Congress corporators. They said an important post was long overdue for her. Pathan, a secondary school teacher at Fattechand Jain School at Chinchwad, has been elected twice as corporator, from ward 72, Gandhi Peth, Chinchwadgaon in 1992 and again from ward 51, Premlok Park, Dalvinagar in 1997. She was the vice-president of the Pimpri-Chincwad Congress committee between 1985-90, president of the women8217;s wing of the party since 1991, elected twice as director of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank since 1993, and also as vice-president of the bank. She is also the president of several Ganesh mandals and social institutions in Chinchwad.

Several Congress corporators and party works who congratulated Pathan on her election however made a point that she ought to change her image as a stern person. Pathan is known for fiery speeches at the civic general body meetings. Ramkrishna More, in his congratulatory speech, made a reference to how angry she was when not nominated for the post last year.

Congress leader Sharad Pawar had finalised Pathan8217;s nomination after consultations with members of the selection committee, More said. All the other party aspirants Sham Valhekar, Gautam Chabukswar, and Shreerang Barne were equally competent, he added.

As chairperson, Pathan said, she will take up all major developmental works including slum rehabilitation projects at Milindnagar, and Vetalnagar. Mayor Hanumanth Bhosale, Commissioner Ganesh Thakur, outgoing chairperson Suryakant Thorat, Congress party leader Nana Shitole, deputy mayor Rekha Gawde, former mayor Azam Pansare congratulated Pathan on her election.