BJP Leaders Elected Unopposed to Head Two Key BMC Committees

Two prominent leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were elected unopposed to head two of the most influential committees within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), marking a notable moment in Mumbai’s civic administration. The appointments were made without contest after the Shiv Sena (UBT), identified as the second-largest party in the civic body, chose not to field candidates for the positions.

Prabhakar Shinde was appointed as the chairperson of the Standing Committee, a powerful body responsible for overseeing financial matters, approving expenditures, and shaping key policy decisions of the municipal corporation. His selection was viewed as a continuation of his long-standing involvement in civic politics. It was highlighted that he had been elected as a corporator five times over nearly three decades. His political journey was traced back to 1976, when he joined the undivided Shiv Sena. In the mid-1990s, he was elected to the Kamgaar Sena, representing workers of the BEST undertaking and the BMC, and later served as its chairperson. Between 2002 and 2006, he functioned as the Leader of the House before eventually joining the BJP in 2017, where he was appointed as group leader.

Meanwhile, Rajashree Shirwadkar was chosen to lead the Education Committee, which supervises more than 400 municipal schools across Mumbai. Her three-term tenure as corporator since 2012 was noted as part of her administrative experience. During her time in the BMC, she had twice chaired the Women and Children’s Welfare Committee and had also been inducted into the Standing Committee in 2017.

The composition of both committees was also outlined. The Standing Committee was reported to consist of 26 members, distributed among multiple political parties, with the BJP holding the highest number of seats. Similarly, the Education Committee was said to comprise 22 members, along with four nominated corporators drawn from different parties.

With these appointments having been finalised without opposition, increased influence for the BJP within two critical arms of Mumbai’s municipal governance was perceived. The Standing Committee’s role in financial oversight and the Education Committee’s responsibility for managing civic educational institutions were expected to shape key administrative decisions in the coming term.