I will ensure good roads for the citizens," vows 56-year-old Kishori Pednekar, the 77th Mayor of the richest municipal corporation of the country—Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Interestingly, while she was elected from the Shiv Sena, she comes from a family of Congress loyalists. She believes her years of hard work have paid off, from practising as a nurse while managing her area for the Sena, travelling to Uran for 10 years and working odd hours. Pednekar will now be devoting the next two years to the city's development.

Pednekar was born in a mill worker's family at Worli Naka, and brought up by a father who was a hard-core Congress follower. In her growing years though, she began to be drawn to Bal Thackeray. Pednekar says, "My father was very strict and followed the Congress. But, during my teenage years, I began to hear stories from my cousin about the Shiv Sena and its founder and would listen in rapt attention. After I got married, I joined the Sainiks and contributed to the rallies. I did not have a designation then, I was just a regular Sena follower."