The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance on Tuesday formally took the reins of the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC), as Nitin Jairam Patil and Pramila Ravinath Patil were elected mayor and deputy mayor unopposed.
The two were elected unopposed after candidates from the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) and the Congress withdrew their nominations in the face of the Mahayuti’s overwhelming majority. The alliance holds 59 of the 78 seats in Raigad’s largest urban local body.
The PWP had previously named Archana Nitin Bhoir as the Opposition candidate for the mayoral election, while the Congress named Lila Ratan Katkari for elections to the deputy mayor’s post.
Nitin Jairam Patil, a two-time corporator, was elected unopposed from Ward 18-B after election officials rejected the candidature of the PWP nominee over his caste certificate.
Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur said Nitin Patil’s elevation was historic for the Agri community. Nitin will be the first mayor of Panvel from the community.
Nitin Patil thanked senior party leaders and alliance partners for entrusting him with the responsibility and emphasised that his immediate priority would be to address civic issues that had remained unresolved for more than three years due to the absence of an elected body.
“People faced problems due to the absence of elected representatives under administrator rule. Hence, we shall ensure their issues are heard and resolved,” Nitin said, adding his elevation was made possible due to the strength of his party, which was visible in the sweep in the Zilla Parishad and panchayat elections also yesterday.