Navi Mumbai civic chief finds support in CM Devendra Fadnavis

Even as the general body of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) passed a no-confidence motion against Tukaram Mundhe, the beleaguered municipal commissioner has found support from the topmost power in the state.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the state could not allow such a resolution to be implemented.

On the other hand, the Shiv Sena has advised Mr Fadnavis to respect democracy, while the Navi Mumbai mayor Sudhakar Sonawane threatened to resign from his post if the state did not accept the resolution passed by the Corporation. The Shiv Sena through its editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana on Thursday warned Mr Fadnavis not to be “unnecessarily stubborn” in protecting the ousted Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner and reminded him that he would have to follow the rules of democracy. “In a democracy, the majority holds immense significance and the no-confidence motion has been passed with a majority. Thus, the chief minister should not be unnecessarily stubborn. If all the elected representatives have stood up against the civic chief, the state government has to respect their decision,” the editorial stated.

Meanwhile, reacting on Saamana’s editorial and stand of Sena against Mr Mundhe, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “I think Tukaram Mundhe is a very efficient officer. He tried to change the system that had adopted illegal means and was corrupt. This has made some people restless and they have come together to remove him.”

Mr Fadnavis said there was a problem with the manner in which the civic chief communicated with the elected representatives. “I have told him that in a democracy one should respect the elected representatives. If demands are illegal, it should not be attended to but otherwise, they should be respect and he has understood it,” said Mr Fadnavis.

On October 25, a no-confidence motion was passed against Mr Mundhe. 105 corporators voted in favour of the motion while six had voted against it. NMMC is controlled by the NCP.