The Congress has won two local self-government bodies in the district, Shirole and Wadgaon, Patil said.
Even as the BJP-led Mahayuti continued to dominate the elections to the 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, the Congress has been able to put up a “decent” show against the ruling parties in Kolhapur district, with 73 of its 122 candidates registering victories. The counting of votes is underway.
”If the latest trends are to be believed, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) might be struggling in other parts of the state. But in Kolhapur district, at least the Congress has put up a decent show. So far, our 73 councillors have won,” Congress MLC Satej Patil told The Indian Express. In all, 90 councillors of the Opposition MVA, which also includes the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP), have won in Kolhapur district so far, he added.
”Only the Shinde-led Shiv Sena is ahead of us as it has bagged three local self-government bodies so far. Otherwise, the BJP and Congress are on par with each other, both having won two local self-government bodies each,” the MLC added.
The Congress has won 40 local self-government bodies, according to Patil. ”These local self-government body polls have all been about money and muscle power. The ruling parties have unleashed terror of all kinds. Just imagine, in Pimpri-Chinchwad, the BJP has snatched 20 corporators, mostly from Ajit Pawar’s party. When Ajit Pawar can’t stop the BJP and can’t tell the chief minister that his party should not be hit in this manner, you can imagine his helplessness,” he said.
Patil denied that MVA had not taken the local polls seriously. ”From the Congress, I, MPCC president, and our other leaders, like Vijay Wadettiwar, campaigned at a few places. As for the Shiv Sena (UBT), it has never campaigned in these elections on a party basis. Uddhav Thackeray has never campaigned in these elections. And Sharad Pawar too was never expected to campaign,” he said.
In Hatkanangle, Patil said the Congress has the majority, but the party’s candidate for council president lost.
”For the council president’s post, three Maratha candidates and one Lingayat candidate fought. The minority votes got consolidated, and the Lingayat candidate won,” he said.