Sena nominates women for mayor post in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivali, Ulhasnagar despite no reservation

The Shiv Sena has decided to nominate women for the post of mayor in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivali and Ulhasnagar municipal corporations though these are not reserved for the segment, reflecting the party's emphasis on women's leadership, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Monday. In a release issued from his office, Shinde said Sharmila Pimpolkar-Gaikwad will be nominated as mayor in Thane Municipal Corporation, Harshali Thavil Choudhary in Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation and Ashwini Nikam in Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation. ''This is the first time in the history of these municipal corporations that women will assume the mayor's office without the benefit of reservation. The decision was taken consciously to promote women's empowerment beyond mandatory quotas. Women should get opportunities based on their ability and leadership, without waiting for reservation,'' it said. Despite there being no reservation for women for the mayor's post, Shiv Sena has shown faith in its beloved sisters and entrusted them with leadership of important civic bodies, the release said. There was speculation that male mayors would be chosen in the absence of any kind of reservations connected to these posts, it added. The release said Shinde approved the proposal to give priority to women leaders after Kalyan Shiv Sena MP Dr Shrikant Shinde strongly advocated that capable women corporators should be considered for the top civic post. The release also said 19 of the 29 Shiv Sena corporators in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation are women. It said of the 90 candidates fielded for the BMC polls, 63 were women. Polls to 29 municipal corporations were held on January 15, while results were declared a day later.