India, Feb. 12 -- Ritu Tawde, 52, was elected Mumbai's 78th mayor on Wednesday, fulfilling the BJP's promise that the city's first citizen would be a Marathi, while the Shiv Sena's Sanjay Ghadi was elected deputy mayor.

Tawde, a three-time corporator from Ghatkopar, is the city's second BJP corporator to occupy the post, after a gap of 44 years.

Tawde and Ghadi were elected unopposed at a special general body meeting as opposition parties led by the Shiv Sena (UBT) did not field candidates.

After a four-year hiatus, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) house reopened in its heritage building on Wednesday, welcoming the 227 newly elected corporators and conducting the much-awaited mayoral election. The session marked a historic ...