Scorpio To Innova: Inside BMC's Rs 1.5 Crore Fleet Upgrade For 'Greater Comfort' Of 6 Officials

Published 30 July 2026 · india

Scorpio To Innova: Inside BMC's Rs 1.5 Crore Fleet Upgrade For 'Greater Comfort' Of 6 Officials Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 09:43 IST

Scorpio To Innova: Inside BMC's Rs 1.5 Crore Fleet Upgrade For 'Greater Comfort' Of 6 Officials Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 09:43 IST After deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi's housing demand, BMC plans to swap SUVs for MUVs for six office-bearers citing 'greater comfort', sparking war of words over who asked for it. BMC's fleet upgrade plan: A Toyota Innova Crysta costs Rs 25-35 lakh against up to Rs 30 lakh for the Scorpio-N currently in use. Weeks after deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi sought a civic bungalow in Byculla over his long Dahisar commute, the BMC is planning to replace his and five other elected office-bearers’ Mahindra Scorpio-N SUVs with Toyota Innova Crystas, at a proposed cost of Rs 1.5 crore, for what it calls “greater comfort." The proposal covers Ghadi, leader of the House Ganesh Khankar (BJP), leader of the opposition Kishori Pednekar (Shiv Sena UBT), standing committee chairperson Prabhakar Shinde (BJP), education committee head Rajeshree Shirwadkar (BJP), and improvement committee chief Sandhya Doshi (Shiv Sena). A Toyota Innova Crysta costs Rs 25-35 lakh against up to Rs 30 lakh for the Scorpio-N currently in use.

According to a report by Times of India, the move follows the BMC’s earlier allotment of Toyota Innova Hycross hybrids — costing up to Rs 40 lakh — to mayor Ritu Tawde and additional municipal commissioners. Why Is BMC Defending The Switch? Mayor Tawde said several committee chairpersons commute from far suburbs such as Dahisar, Kandivli and Borivli, and that “no separate tender" is being floated — the office-bearers have simply asked for a different vehicle type than what’s currently provided. Did All Six Actually Ask For New Cars? Not everyone agrees. Pednekar said she made no such demand: she was given a new vehicle earlier this year when appointed leader of the opposition and sees “no need to change it." Tawde countered that Pednekar had earlier agreed to the replacement but has since reversed her position — an account Pednekar’s statement directly contradicts. Khankar, meanwhile, confirmed the demand was raised collectively at a group leaders’ meeting. Will This Cost The BMC Extra? A BMC official denied any additional expenditure, saying the Scorpios — originally purchased for a five-year term and split between committee heads and ward officers — will be reassigned to ward-level officials still using older vehicles after some missed out on the earlier round of new cars.

Currently, BMC chief Ashwini Bhide is the only official using an electric vehicle. Official Position / Party Current Vehicle Proposed/Allotted Vehicle Price Range Notes Sanjay Ghadi Deputy Mayor, Shiv Sena Mahindra Scorpio-N Toyota Innova Crysta ₹25–35 lakh Sought Byculla bungalow over commute Ganesh Khankar Leader of House, BJP Mahindra Scorpio-N Toyota Innova Crysta ₹25–35 lakh Confirms demand raised at group leaders’ meeting Kishori Pednekar Leader of Opposition, Shiv Sena (UBT) Mahindra Scorpio-N Toyota Innova Crysta ₹25–35 lakh Denies requesting replacement — disputes Tawde’s account Prabhakar Shinde Standing Committee Chair, BJP Mahindra Scorpio-N Toyota Innova Crysta ₹25–35 lakh — Rajeshree Shirwadkar Education Committee Head, BJP Mahindra Scorpio-N Toyota Innova Crysta ₹25–35 lakh — Sandhya Doshi Improvement Committee Chief, Shiv Sena Mahindra Scorpio-N Toyota Innova Crysta ₹25–35 lakh — Ritu Tawde Mayor — Toyota Innova Hycross (hybrid) Up to ₹40 lakh Already allotted, separate from this proposal Additional Municipal Commissioners — — Toyota Innova Hycross (hybrid) Up to ₹40 lakh Already allotted, separate from this proposal Ashwini Bhide BMC Chief Electric vehicle — — Only official currently on an EV News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Sumedha Kirti Sumedha Kirti is a Chief Sub Editor with over eight years of experience — both at the desk and reporting.