PUNE: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Hemant Rasane has been elected as Chairman of Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Standing Committee. Rasane won by defeating Maha Vikas Aghadi’s candidate Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator Ashok Kamble by six votes on Friday. Rasane and Kamble had filed their nominations on Monday.

The Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP had formed an alliance for the Standing Committee Chairman’s election and supported Kamble. 

BJP had already announced that their corporator Dheeraj Ghate will be the Leader of House in PMC and Rasane will be fielded as the Standing Committee Chairman candidate. After replacing the mayor and deputy mayor, the BJP decided to change other key positions in the civic body. 

In the 16-member Standing Committee, the BJP has a majority with 10 members, while NCP has four and Congress and Shiv Sena have one member each. The committee has a tenure of five years. Every year, the term of eight committee members ends and new members replace them.

Meanwhile, BJP corporator Dheeraj Ghate has become the Leader of the House. 

Mayor Murli Mohol handed over the appointment letter to him on Wednesday. 

After taking charge as the Leader of the House, Ghate said, “I will try my best to resolve water and transport problems. My motto will be ‘Sabka Saath, Pune ka Vikas’.” 

BJP had already announced that their corporator Dheeraj Ghate will be the Leader of House in PMC and Rasane will be fielded as the Standing Committee Chairman candidate. After replacing the mayor and deputy mayor, the BJP decided to change other key positions in the civic body.