Ex-BMC bureaucrat to contest polls on Congress ticket

Mumbai: A former Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official has decided to take the plunge into the cauldron of politics. Rajendra Narwankar, who has served the civic body for 33 years, will be contesting as a Congress candidate from ward number 216 in Mumbai Central. Considered close to the Deora family, Mr Narwankar will contest from a ward that has been represented by senior Congress corporator Noshir Mehta. The delimitation process has now split the area into two wards, which are both reserved for the OBC category. Hence, Mr Mehta has decided not to contest this time.

The Mumbai Central area is considered as a Congress bastion which the Mehta family has represented for past 50 years. From 1967 to 1987, it was represented by Rusi Mehta, Noshir’s father. Noshir Mehta represented the area from 1987 to 2002, after which it was declared a women’s seat.

People continued to repose faith in the Mehta family by electing Noshir Mehta’s sister Anahita, who was twice elected as a corporator. As the ward became open in 2012, the voters again elected Noshir Mehta. Mr Narwankar retired as an executive engineer from the D ward a few months ago.

Despite contesting from a Congress stronghold, Mr Narwankar refused to take his win for granted. “You have to work hard in politics to succeed. I decided to join Congress as it is the only party that has an all-inclusive image. Working in the BMC since years, I know their style of functioning and it will help me serve people,” he said.