Shiv Sena's Mahadeshwar is Mumbai's 76th mayor with BJP's blessing

BJP's move seen as an olive branch to the Shiv Sena to keep it in good humour

In a renewed show of bonhomie after the bitter fight, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday voted for Shiv Sena nominee Vishwanath Mahadeshwar as Mumbai mayor and Hemangi Waralikar as deputy mayor. Mahadeshwar, who is the 76th mayor of the city, got 171 votes. He defeated Congress nominee Vithal Lokare, who anyway had very little chances of winning,  as his party won only 31 out of 227 seats in the BMC elections. The Samajwadi Party with six corporators, NCP with nine and MIM with one corporator abstained from voting while the MNS' seven corporators chose to remain absent.