An Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation general meeting descended into a dispute between Shiv Sena and BJP members after Mayor Ashwini Nikam announced a lunch break during discussion on a proposal to develop Antilia Ghat as a tourist destination, according to a report by Loksatta. BJP Deputy Mayor Amar Lund then occupied the mayor’s vacant chair and attempted to continue the proceedings.
The confrontation took place during a meeting held on Wednesday, when the proposal for granting tourism-site status to Antilia Ghat was introduced on the recommendation of MLA Kumar Ailani. The proposal triggered heated exchanges and allegations between corporators from the two parties, which are part of the ruling alliance in the civic body.
As the disruption intensified, Nikam announced a meal break and left the meeting hall. BJP group leader Rajesh Wadhariya objected to the decision and argued that any suspension of the meeting should be put to a vote. The report said the mayor did not accept the demand.
Lund subsequently took control of the mayor’s chair and tried to conduct the general meeting in her absence. Municipal Commissioner Manisha Avhale and other administrative officers also left the hall after the mayor exited. The absence of the mayor and civic officials has raised questions about the status of the proceedings conducted by the deputy mayor.
After leaving the hall, Wadhariya said the deputy mayor could conduct the proceedings and claimed that the tourism-site proposal had been approved by a vote of 30-0. The report did not include an independent civic document confirming the vote or explain whether the resolution would be formally recorded by the municipal administration.
Shiv Sena House Leader Arun Ashan disputed the BJP’s position. He described the deputy mayor’s action as immature and said the mayor had suspended the meeting only for lunch, with the intention that it would resume afterwards. The competing accounts leave the procedural status of the meeting and the proposal subject to clarification by the municipal administration.
The dispute comes after several days of friction between Shiv Sena and BJP members in the corporation. The latest confrontation has moved beyond disagreements over the agenda to a direct contest over who can preside over the civic body’s proceedings when the mayor is absent. The immediate administrative question is whether the decisions announced during the disruption will be recognised in the official record.
The report also said the incident has renewed questions within political circles about the future of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Ulhasnagar. The next formal step will depend on how the municipal administration records the meeting and handles the proposal concerning Antilia Ghat.
