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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Parliament passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Parliament early Friday passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after it was approved by the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha had on Thursday approved the Bill after over a 12-hour debate.
In Rajya Sabha, the Bill got 128 votes in its favour and 95 against after all the amendments moved by the opposition were rejected.
In the lower house, the bill was supported by 288 MPs while 232 voted against it.
Participating in a debate in the Rajya Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill was brought with a number of amendments based on suggestions given by various stakeholders.
"The Waqf Board is a statutory body. All government bodies should be secular," the minister said, explaining the inclusion of non-Muslims on the board.
He, however, said the number of non-Muslims has been restricted to only four out of 22.
Rijiju also alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties, and not the BJP, were trying to scare Muslims with the Waqf Bill.
"You (opposition) are pushing Muslims out of the mainstream," he added.
He said for 60 years, the Congress and others ruled the country, but did not do much for Muslims and the community continues to live in poverty.
"Muslims are poor, who is responsible? You (Congress) are. Modi is now leading the government to uplift them," the minister said.
According to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Waqf tribunals will be strengthened, a structured selection process will be maintained, and a tenure will be fixed to ensure efficient dispute resolution.
As per the Bill, while Waqf institutions' mandatory contribution to Waqf boards is reduced from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, Waqf institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh will undergo audits by state-sponsored auditors.
A centralised portal will automate Waqf property management, improving efficiency and transparency.
The Bill proposes that practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to the Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules.
It stipulates that women must receive their inheritance before the Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.
The Bill proposes that an officer above the rank of collector investigate government properties claimed as Waqf.
It also proposes that non-Muslim members be included in the central and state Waqf boards for inclusivity.
