'Avoid Bangda and don't sleep'

That was Sena's diktat to corporators before mayoral polls to ensure there were no upset stomachs and everyone cast their vote

That was Sena's diktat to corporators before mayoral polls to ensure there were no upset stomachs and everyone cast their vote

Every vote mattered for the Shiv Sena in the mayoral election yesterday.

So, the night before, the party booked a hotel in each area and ensured its corporators stayed together to avoid defections.

But the corporators were given strict instructions don't sleep and avoid eating bangda, a type
of fish.

"Bangda fry is a hit among sea food lovers, but the fish often results in an upset stomach. We didn't want to take any risk and wanted all our corporators to vote at the mayoral polls," said a Sainik.

Sena's Shraddha Jadhav was eventually elected Mumbai's mayor with 114 votes, defeating NCP's Priscilla Kadam, who got 95 votes.

Win Some: This mayoral election win is probabaly the only thing that has gone right for the Shiv Sena in the past couple of years. No wonder then that Uddhav Thackeray was all smiles outside the BMC headquarters yesterday.

Stretching it

During the election, most Sainiks were seen rubbing their eyes due to lack of sleep. "How could we sleep on the eve of the elections? We stayed awake for the party, as it was crucial to vote," said a Sena corporator.
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The party even dragged Matunga (ward number 183) Corportor Ajit Pandit from a hospital on a stretcher for the polls. "Though Pandit is immobile, we had to drag him to vote because it was important for the Sena.
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He too realised his presence was needed and so, he came," explained Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe.

The Congress too ensured its corporators voted despite adversities. Colaba Corpor-ator Geeta Kanojia voted despite losing her son-in-law last morning. She left for his last rites after casting her vote.



33
The number of months Shubha Raul was mayor of Mumbai

Did you know?
Former India cricket captain Dilip Vengsarkar missed the semi-final of the 1987 World Cup due to a stomach disorder, resulting from sea food allergy.

Missing Corporator

Shiv Sena's Versova Corporator Chhaya Bhanji, who went missing, stunned everyone by attending the mayoral polls yesterday.
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"I was attending a relative's wedding in Versova," she said. "I did not want them to get tense," is all what Bhanji said when asked why she didn't inform her family about her whereabouts.

They had filed a missing persons complaint.