Celebrations at BJP office in Mumbai after the party took a lead in 127 seats. (Express Photo: Akash Patil)
The BJP has emerged as the number-one party, way ahead of alliance partners Shiv Sena and NCP as well as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, in the Maharashtra municipal council and nagar panchayat polls, for which the counting of votes started on Sunday morning.
Going by the trends so far, the BJP has taken a clear lead in the polls, leading in 127 out of the 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, whereas the Shiv Sena is leading in 53 and the NCP in 32. Together, Mahayuti is ahead in 212 urban local bodies. The MVA has shown a dismal performance, with leads in only 53 of the municipal councils and nagar panchayats—the Congress in 36, the Shiv Sena in nine, and the Shara Pawar-led NCP (SP) in eight.
BJP leader Praveen Darekar said, “From the beginning, we were confident about grabbing more than 50 per cent seats. The results have proved us correct. The elections are testimony to public trust in the leadership of CM Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra and PM Narendra Modi at the Centre.”
The BJP poll manager added, “The results will be a big boost to the party. And they will enthuse our workers to redouble their efforts for the coming elections to the 29 municipal corporations, including the BMC, on January 15.”
The counting of votes started at 10 am for all 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, including those seats that went to the polls in the first phase, on December 2.
According to the State Election Commission (SEC), 67.63 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise in the first phase, which was held in 263 municipal councils and nagar panchayats. In the rest of the municipal councils and nagar panchayats, voting was held on December 20. The SEC had originally announced single-phase polling for all the seats.
The Murgud municipal council in Kolhapur district recorded the highest polling percentage, 88.43 per cent, while Besa Pipla in Nagpur district saw the lowest, 51.33 per cent.