<p>Shiv Sena's Vishwanath Mahadeshwar was today elected as the Mayor of Mumbai with the support of the BJP, marking a coming together of the two parties after contesting the civic polls separately.<br /><br />Mahadeshwar defeated Congress nominee Vitthal Lokare by 171-31 margin. He is the 76th mayor of the city. The 56-year-old third time corporator has earlier served as Chairman of BMC's Education Committee and was also a member of the Standing Committee.<br /><br />His election was a foregone conclusion with the BJP last week announcing that it would not contest for the post, despite finishing a close second to the Sena in the bitterly fought polls, which even cast a shadow on the stability of the Devendra Fadnavis ministry.<br /><br />As the House assembled for electing Mayor and Deputy Mayor, BJP corporators, sporting saffron turbans, entered it, chanting "Modi-Modi".<br /><br />Corporators of the Raj Thackeray-led MNS did not turn up to the House for the elections. Those from the NCP and SP refrained from backing either of the contestants.<br /><br />While 16 corporators remained neutral, eight remained absent and one from AIMIM abstained from voting though he was present in the House.<br /><br />The relations between BJP and the Sena, partners in the state and central government, hit a new low during the campaign for civic elections across Maharashtra, which saw them hurling charges at each other.<br /><br />The Sena had even threatened of pulling out of the BJP-led government in the state anytime. The BJP put up a splendid performance in all parts of the state and shook Sena's citadel Mumbai, its political heartland land right from its formation in the 1960s.</p>
<p>Shiv Sena's Vishwanath Mahadeshwar was today elected as the Mayor of Mumbai with the support of the BJP, marking a coming together of the two parties after contesting the civic polls separately.<br /><br />Mahadeshwar defeated Congress nominee Vitthal Lokare by 171-31 margin. He is the 76th mayor of the city. The 56-year-old third time corporator has earlier served as Chairman of BMC's Education Committee and was also a member of the Standing Committee.<br /><br />His election was a foregone conclusion with the BJP last week announcing that it would not contest for the post, despite finishing a close second to the Sena in the bitterly fought polls, which even cast a shadow on the stability of the Devendra Fadnavis ministry.<br /><br />As the House assembled for electing Mayor and Deputy Mayor, BJP corporators, sporting saffron turbans, entered it, chanting "Modi-Modi".<br /><br />Corporators of the Raj Thackeray-led MNS did not turn up to the House for the elections. Those from the NCP and SP refrained from backing either of the contestants.<br /><br />While 16 corporators remained neutral, eight remained absent and one from AIMIM abstained from voting though he was present in the House.<br /><br />The relations between BJP and the Sena, partners in the state and central government, hit a new low during the campaign for civic elections across Maharashtra, which saw them hurling charges at each other.<br /><br />The Sena had even threatened of pulling out of the BJP-led government in the state anytime. The BJP put up a splendid performance in all parts of the state and shook Sena's citadel Mumbai, its political heartland land right from its formation in the 1960s.</p>