Former autorickshaw driver becomes mayor of Pimpri-Chinchwad in Maharashtra
Will work for upliftment of poor
Mumbai, Aug 05: The story of an autorickshaw driver-turned-mayor, Rahul Jadhav is awe-inspiring. As he was struggling to make ends meet on a salary of Rs 200 ten years ago, life drastically changed in the span of a decade. On Saturday, he was declared the mayor of the city of Pimpri-Chinchwad at the PCMC headquarters in Maharashtra, as per a report by The Indian Express.
The 36-year-old Jadhav wore an attire similar to the one of social reformer Jyotiba Phule during his appointment as the mayor. Life posed new challenges everyday ever since he dropped out of Class 10 in school. “I know the pain of ordinary people like autorickshaw drivers. During my tenure as the mayor, I will work for the upliftment of the poor,” he was quoted as saying by IE.
For five long years, Jadhav drove a six-seater auto rickshaw from 1997 to 2002 in Chikhli, Bhosari and Moshi areas. After rejecting farming as an alternative, he shifted back to driving the autorickshaw to earn his daily living. Soon after, he joined the MNS in 2007. As fate turned quickly, he was elected to the PCMC on an MNS seat.
Earlier in the 2017 civic elections, he parted ways with MNS to join the BJP and was elected from the Jadhavwadi area by a small margin of 3,000 votes, as per the report. The other NCP nominee was way behind Jadhav after the PCMC elections where the mayor was chosen unanimously. Jadhav secured 80 votes while the NCP nominee Vinod Nadhe got 33 votes.
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena did not vote. Rahul Jadhav will serve one year as the mayor of the industrial city of Pimpri-Chinchwad. The deputy mayor Sachin Chinchwade who won with 79 votes was also a nominee from BJP. After Jadhav won, he headed to Jadhavwadi, Chikhli as supporters burst firecrackers.
Courtesy: www.timesnownews.com
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
