Mumbai Mayoral Election: BJP's Rule Change Foils Thackeray Faction's Strategy

• The Mahayuti government introduced a new rule for appointing the Presiding Officer in the Mumbai Mayoral election, impacting the Thackeray faction.
• Previously, the outgoing mayor or senior-most corporator served as Presiding Officer; now, a Secretary-rank state government officer will fulfill this role.
• This change prevents senior corporator Shraddha Jadhav from the Thackeray faction from becoming the Presiding Officer, a position they hoped to secure.
• The new rule designates the Municipal Commissioner, Bhushan Gagrani (Principal Secretary rank), as the Presiding Officer, limiting the mayor's powers.
• Political observers suggest this move by the BJP-Shinde faction aims to counter the Thackeray faction's strategy and avoid potential technical difficulties for the ruling party.

Why It Matters: BJP's strategic rule change for the Mumbai Mayoral election has outmaneuvered the Thackeray faction.