Shiv Sena
leader Kishori Pednekar, 56, was formally elected the city’s 77th Mayor on
Friday morning. Pednekar is a three-time corporator from Lower Parel in South
Mumbai.
Suhas
Wadkar, also from the Sena, was elected deputy mayor of Mumbai.
Pednekar
started her title as Mumbai’s new mayor with appeals to the people of Mumbai to
save water and to municipal officials to focus on pothole-free roads.
She also
urged Mumbai’ites to increase use of buses to reduce overcrowding on roads and
reduce pollution.
“I
understand that my top priorities as the Mayor of Mumbai are improving civic facilities
for the city, and keeping the city safe and secure,” Kishori Pednekar said.
Pednekar had
started out her courier as a nurse before she joined Shiv Sena women wing in
1992 and was sent to work in Raigad and Sindhudurg districts in Western
Maharashtra.
Pednekar
became a corporator in Mumbai in 2002 and was re-elected in 2012 and 2017.
During her three terms, Pednekar has held key positions in the Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corporation (BMC) including as a member of the standing committee
that scrutinises the civic agency’s financial transactions.