If one peeps into the history of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), one would find a very interesting fact. There are some pairs of father and son or daughter who, both in different era, contested corporation elections, won and became corporators. Some contested Assembly, Council polls and became MLA or MLC too. One name is prominent among all--Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister. His father, late Gangadharrao Fadnavis, was Corporator and then, became Deputy Mayor and MLC too from Graduate constituency. Devendra Fadnavis too was Corporator, Mayor, MLA and then became Chief Minister. Another big name is Kundatai Vijaykar. Kundatai became the first woman Mayor of Nagpur, while her father late Bar. Sheshrao Wankhede earned his name by becoming the first Mayor of Nagpur city.

 

Wankhede was elected as MLA and became Finance Minister of Maharashtra. He had also worked as President of Mumbai Cricket Association, Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI). It was his initiative to develop cricket stadium at Mumbai, later named after him. Similarly, one can’t forget late Prabhakarrao Datke, who ran the corporation politics and tried to introduce several major welfare programmes for the common man in 90s. His son, Pravin Datke, MLA of Central Nagpur now, also became Corporator and then Mayor.

 

Later on, he became MLC and is now an MLA. Former Minister of State of Maharashtra Vinod Gudadhe Patil is also an important name in Nagpur politics. He too had contested municipal polls and became a Corporator. He later on became MLA and was inducted into Maharashtra Cabinet in 1995. His son Praful Gudadhe too has been winning corporation polls and never faced defeat.

 

This time, Kumudini Gudadhe, wife of Praful Gudadhe has been fielded by Congress as the ward in Prabhag 38 is reserved for women. In Patel family, three generations made their presence in municipal corporations--Deepak Patel and his father and grandfather--Mohan and Daulat. Jagdish and Vikram Gwalbansi are also a father-son duo who contested and won their respective elections of NMC. Dilip Chaudhary, a known name in the NMC politics was Corporator. His son Kamlesh too was elected as Corporator last time. Kamlesh Chaudhari was with Congress. But the party found that he had supported BJP in Lok Sabha 2024 polls and worked openly against Congress candidate in Assembly polls in 2024. Congress city unit removed him from the party. This time he is contesting as an independent candidate.

 

 

As per the rule introduced by BJP, the children of members of State Legislature or Members of Parliament can’t contest. So, Rohit Khopde, son of MLA Krishna Khopde was denied ticket this time who later resigned from the party’s primary membership. Though Congress did not have such rule, Ketan Thakre, son of MLA Vikas Thakre, did decide on his own not to contest. Shreyas Kumbhare, son of Vikas Kumbhare, ex-MLA and Amol Shamkule, son of ex-MLA Nana Shamkule have been fielded by the party. Vikas Kumbhare and Shamkule both had enjoyed stint as coporators before becoming MLAs.