Next Chandrapur Mayor will be from Congress, says party leader Vijay Wadettiwar

Mumbai, Jan 20 (PTI) The Congress, which emerged as the single largest party in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation (CMC) in Maharashtra last week, will install its Mayor and lead the new civic administration, senior party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said on Tuesday.

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader claimed his party has secured the required numbers in the corporation to helm the new civic set up in the city in the Vidarbha region.

Dismissing claims by BJP leaders that Congress corporators were in touch with them, Wadettiwar insisted such statements were mere "kite-flying in the air" and lack authenticity.

"Our first priority is to form a Congress-led civic administration in Chandrapur and install a party Mayor. We have the numbers needed for it," he told reporters in Mumbai.

Wadettiwar emphasised that there was no scope for poaching corporators in Chandrapur and asserted a Congress mayor in the city was certain regardless of BJP's claims.

The CLP leader said the party wants a loyal and experienced corporator to be made the next Mayor.

He hinted that some BJP corporators were in touch with the Congress.

The people of Chandrapur have given a clear mandate to the Congress in the last week's civic polls and the party will work earnestly to live up to their expectations, the former state minister affirmed.

Six corporators of the Shiv Sena (UBT), a Congress ally at the state-level, have been elected in Chandrapur, where no party has secured a clear majority in the civic polls.

Wadettiwar said discussions are underway to include them in an alliance as the two parties are constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the state.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has a right to stake claim to the Mayor's post in Chandrapur, he added.

In the 66-member Chandrapur civic body, the Congress won 27 seats, followed by BJP (23), Shiv Sena-UBT (6), BSP and Shiv Sena (1 each) and others (8).

Chandrapur was among 29 big cities and towns in Maharashtra where municipal corporation polls were held on January 15 and votes counted the next day. PTI COR RSY