BJP, SAI asks corporators to vote for Idnani

Ulhasnagar

Ulhasnagar

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Secular Alliance of India (SAI) have issued a whip asking its corporators from Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) to vote for Jeevan Idnani as mayor and Vijay Patil as deputy mayor in the mayoral elections on Friday.

Idnani is the deputy mayor of UMC.

Earlier, BJP and SAI had filed nominations for the mayoral post, even though they contested the 2017 civic polls together.

SAI claimed that the BJP had assured a mayor from SAI for the remaining 2 years. Earlier, BJP’s Meena Ailani was elected as mayor for one and half years. After this, Pancham Kalani from BJP was elected as mayor for one and half years.

Idnani said the BJP-SAI alliance had an agreement of allowing a mayor of SAI party in the last tenure; hence he went ahead with the filing of nomination.

“Both the parties have decided to vote for Idnani. We have already asked all the corporators to be present and vote as per the party’s decision. If they fail to vote for Idnani they will face action,” said a senior leader of BJP, who did not wish to be named.

Sources from Ulhasnagar claimed that although BJP-SAI has decided to vote for Idnani, the votes will not cross the magic number 40 as Team Omie Kalani has not decided whom to vote for.

UMC has 78 corporators. SAI has 12 corporators, while the BJP has 32 but most of them are from Team Omie Kalani (TOK).

At least 18 corporators are from TOK, claimed its president Omie Kalani.

Omie Kalani he did not respond to phone calls and text messages.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena also tried wooing corporators from TOK, who were upset with the BJP for breaking its promise of giving Assembly tickets to the Kalanis.

Shiv Sena also had plans to take support from NCP and Congress for the mayoral elections. Sena leader Gopal Landge had told the party will seek support from NCP and Congress.

However, the local NCP leaders are unhappy with the Sena, saying it did not take them into confidence before nominating senior Sena corporator Leelabai Ashan for the mayoral post.

“We are sure that most corporators of the BJP and SAI will support the decision and vote for the alliance. Even if the TOK has not been vocal about their support, they have a positive approach towards us,” said Idnani.