New mayors have been elected in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, and Mira-Bhayandar, marking a return to elected civic leadership after periods of administrator-led governance. All three cities have appointed women to the mayoral posts.
The appointments are part of a broader political strategy and reflect recent trends in Maharashtra’s municipal politics.
Sharmila Pimplolkar of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena was elected unopposed as the 23rd mayor of Thane. Krishna Patil of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was named deputy mayor. In Kalyan-Dombivli, Harshali Chaudhary of Shiv Sena was elected mayor, with Rahul Damle of BJP as deputy mayor. Dimpal Mehta, a BJP corporator, was chosen as mayor in Mira-Bhayandar, while Dhruvkishor Patil of BJP became deputy mayor.
The appointments are seen as part of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s strategy to strengthen support among women voters. The mayoral posts in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, and Ulhasnagar were not reserved for women, but women were appointed regardless.
In Thane, the mayor’s post was reserved for a scheduled caste candidate, in Kalyan-Dombivli for a scheduled tribe candidate, and in Ulhasnagar for an OBC candidate.
In Mira-Bhayandar, Dimpal Mehta’s appointment as mayor was met with some protests from local groups, who argued for a Marathi-speaking mayor as reporting indicated. However, the BJP maintained that her experience and electoral mandate justified her selection. Mehta has previously served as mayor and is active in local civic politics.
“Now by appointing three women as mayors despite there being no women reservation shows his commitment to women empowerment,” said Shiv Sena spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre, as quoted in the sources.
The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance has implemented a rotation formula in some municipal corporations, with mayoral and deputy mayoral tenures set at 15 months as analysis showed. This allows multiple corporators to serve in leadership roles during the full term, broadening opportunities for party members.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.