An autorickshaw driver from a Maharashtra town, Rahul Jadhav is now a proud Mayor. As an autorickshaw driver sometimes he was earning less than Rs 200 a day and life was an unending challenge for him. But all that has changed in the past one decade. He is no longer an autorickshaw driver. On Saturday, wearing an attire associated with social reformer Jyotiba Phule, 36-year-old Jadhav entered the PCMC headquarters and hours later was declared the mayor of the industrial city of Pimpri-Chinchwad.  Influenced by Raj Thackeray’s speeches, he joined the MNS when the party was set up in 2007. In 2012, he was elected to the PCMC on a MNS ticket. On the eve of 2017 civic body elections, he joined the BJP and was elected from Jadhavwadi area by a margin of over 3,000 votes.
Meanwhile, breaking from the past tradition where the mayor was chosen unanimously, the PCMC had to hold an election for the post as the NCP refused to withdraw its nominee though the numbers were against it. Jadhav secured 80 votes, much more than 33 polled by NCP nominee Vinod Nadhe.

An autorickshaw driver from a Maharashtra town, Rahul Jadhav is now a proud Mayor. As an autorickshaw driver sometimes he was earning less than Rs 200 a day and life was an unending challenge for him. But all that has changed in the past one decade. He is no longer an autorickshaw driver. On Saturday, wearing an attire associated with social reformer Jyotiba Phule, 36-year-old Jadhav entered the PCMC headquarters and hours later was declared the mayor of the industrial city of Pimpri-Chinchwad.  Influenced by Raj Thackeray’s speeches, he joined the MNS when the party was set up in 2007. In 2012, he was elected to the PCMC on a MNS ticket. On the eve of 2017 civic body elections, he joined the BJP and was elected from Jadhavwadi area by a margin of over 3,000 votes.
Meanwhile, breaking from the past tradition where the mayor was chosen unanimously, the PCMC had to hold an election for the post as the NCP refused to withdraw its nominee though the numbers were against it. Jadhav secured 80 votes, much more than 33 polled by NCP nominee Vinod Nadhe.