BJP moves no-confidence against Mumbai Mayor Pednekar over COVID failure & BMC corruption

Opposing the Shiv Sena-led BMC's Coronavirus (COVID-19) efforts, BJP corporators on Thursday moved a no-confidence motion against Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar over alleged irregularities in the civic body and its failure to contain the pandemic. Pednekar has denied all allegations and has asked BJP to show proof of corruption in the civic body. Currently, Mumbai is the second-worst affected COVID district in the nation with 1,63,115 cases of which 26,632 cases are active while 8020 have succumbed to the virus.

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BJP alleges corruption

Earlier on Thursday, ex-BJP MLA Kirit Somaiya alleged that Pednekar and her family's  Kish Corporate Services' office at Worli's Gomata Janata SRA is Ilegal. He stated that on meeting Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), officials confirmed that the premises were allotted for Welfare Centre & Residence and not Pednekar. He added that 8 other companies registered in the same premises were also being occupied illegally.  

BMC Mayor polls: Who will head India's richest civic body, amid 'Sena-BJP' fallout?

Mayor polls 2019

In November 2019, Sena won both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor polls in Mumbai Mayor polls, retaining India's richest civic body -Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Shiv Sena's Kishori Pednekar and Suhas Wadkar won the Mayor and Deputy Mayor post on November 22, after BJP's Ashish Shelar bowed out of the race. In 2017, the former allies BJP-Sena had bitterly fought the civic elections separately but later the BJP had supported the Sena nominee for Mayor's post in 227- seat Corporation.

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Sena-BJP fallout

Prior to separating at the civic level, the saffron allies fell out with the  Sena insisting an equal sharing of CM post for 2.5 years and portfolios, which was refused by BJP. Irking the Shiv Sena which was in talks with NCP and Congress to form the government, Fadnavis had unsuccessfully partnered with Ajit Pawar to be sworn-in as Maharashtra CM for mere 72 hours. Ajit Pawar rescinded his support after the Supreme Court ordered an open ballot floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly immediately, leading to Fadnavis and Pawar's resignation.  Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra on November 28, leading to Shiv Sena allying with NCP and Congress at BMC level- giving it a comfortable majority of 130 seats in the  Rs 30,692 crore-rich civic body.