Former autorickshaw driver becomes new Pimpri-Chinchwad Mayor
If there's anything we can learn from new Pimpri-Chinchwad Mayor Rahul Jadhav's life, it's that hard work and smart decisions can turn lives around. The Class-10 dropout was driving an autorickshaw and struggling to make ends meet just 10 years ago. Sometime amid this crisis, he heard MNS founder Raj Thackeray's speeches, and was so inspired he entered politics. It was only the first step.
Jadhav hopped from one job to another to earn enough
Jadhav was born to a farming family 36 years ago in Jadhavwadi area of Chikhli village. Finacial struggles forced him to give up studies after Class 10. He then took to driving a six-seater autorickshaw in Chikhli, Bhosari and Moshi during 1997-2002. That year, he changed gears and took up farming, but soon realized it didn't fetch enough, so he became a driver with a firm.
Inspired by Raj Thackeray, friendship with Mahesh Landge
As Jadhav focused on feeding his family, Raj Thackeray broke away from the Shiv Sena and started rallying supporters for his new party- MNS. Jadhav became one of the first members. By 2012, he was elected to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). He soon became a supporter of Mahesh Landge, Bhosari BJP associate MLA, and joined BJP right before the 2017 civic body elections.
Some speedbreakers in the way,but not enough to defeat Jadhav
His rise in the BJP met with some obstacles. After he got elected as a BJP corporator in February'17, he was a mayoral candidate, but Nitin Kalje became the first BJP mayor. In February-March'18, he was nominated to the standing committee and was the leading contender from Landge's faction for the chairman post, but it went to Mamata Gaikwad. Jadhav then quit the committee.
This time, 80 of 120 corporators voted for Jadhav!
Yesterday, elections to the civic posts were held. One hundred twenty out of 128 corporators cast their votes. It was an embarrassing defeat for his rival, NCP's Vinod Nadhe, who secured just 33 votes; Jadhav had 80. Soon, the former autorickshaw driver, attired in full Jyotiba Phule outfit and accompanied by his wife (dressed as Savitribai Phule), was declared mayor for the next year.
Will work for all-inclusive development in Pimpri-Chinchwad: Jadhav
Jadhav has announced his focus will be on the poor. "I know the pain of ordinary people like autorickshaw drivers. Pimpri-Chinchwad city is known as the city of workers. With the help of senior party leaders, we are committed to all-inclusive development of the city."
