BJP bags mayor, deputy mayor posts in Akola civic body

The BJP's Sharda Khedkar and Amol Goge were elected as the new mayor and deputy mayor of the Akola Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra on Friday. Speaking to reporters, Akola Municipal Commissioner Sunil Lahane said that corporators from the Akola Shehar Sudhar Aghadi, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and both NCP factions, elected Khedkar as mayor and Goge as deputy mayor. Khedkar received 45 votes, while her opponent Surekha Kale of the Shiv Sena (UBT) bagged 32 votes, he said. Thirty-eight BJP corporators, three from NCP (SP), one each from the NCP and Shiv Sena, and two independent corporators backed Khedkar. Independent corporator Ashish Pavitrakar, who had rebelled against the BJP and joined the Congress, extended support to Khedkar at the last moment, while three AIMIM corporators remained neutral, the official said. The Congress's Azad Khan Aliyar Khan bagged 32 votes, losing to Goge for the deputy mayor's post. In the 80-member Akola civic body, the BJP won 38 seats, Congress 21, Shiv Sena (UBT) six, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) five, AIMIM and NCP (SP) three each, Shiv Sena and NCP one each.