Its advantage Fadnavis as BJP puts up best ever show with 82 BMC seats

Sena wins 84 seats; BJP also wins 8 other municipal corporations and 25 ZPs

Sanjay Jog  |  Mumbai 

Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis celebrates with BJP cadre after civic poll results in Mumbai (Photo: Suryakant Niwate)

In a fiercely fought elections to the 227-member BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the erstwhile ruling partners Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party failed to reach the magic figure of 114 required for simple majority.

Shiv Sena, who had for the first time diluted its Marathi Manoos plank by reaching out to all sections, has won 84 while BJP, who approached voters on the transparency front, bagged 82 seats, just two short. Technically, Shiv Sena has succeeded to retain its supremacy in BMC but has upped its tally by mere nine seats compared to 75 seats in 2012 poll. However, BJP's rise has been stunning from mere 32 in 2012.

Both the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray remain non-committal on a tie-up in BMC.

“The party’s core committee will decide if the Shiv Sena can be seen as an ally or not. The core committee will decide what needs to be done about the BMC. I haven't spoken to Uddhav Thackeray,” said Fadnavis. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted "Extremely thankful to the sisters & brothers of Maharashtra" tweets PM Modi after BJP's performance in BMC polls. I congratulate the entire team of Maharashtra BJP. Through hardwork, determination and work on the ground, the BJP now a strong force both in urban and rural Maharashtra. ''

Apart from Mumbai, the city corporations which went to polls were Thane, Ulhasnagar, Nashik, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Solapur, Akola, Amravati and Nagpur.

BJP has also set to win eight out of the 10 major municipal corporations in Maharashtra where elections were held. Lotus bloomed across Maharashtra. The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who led from the front, has sailed through another big test. Of the 1,066 seats declared, BJP has won a record 521 seats. Of the 25 zilla parishads, BJP has shown sterling performance. A visibly relaxed Fadnavis attributed party's victory to the anti-corruption policies implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He told reporters that BJP's victory was due to the overwhelming support by voters for party's transparency plank.

On BJP’s strong showing, Uddhav said: “Cannot call it a BJP victory.  You must assess it keeping in mind the money and muscle they put into the elections.”

Fadnavis has also been credited with the BJP's big gains in the first part of civic elections in the state held a few months ago, mostly at the cost of the Congress and NCP in their rural Maharashtra strongholds. In its campaign for the BMC, the BJP targeted the Shiv Sena over the poor state of Mumbai's roads and other amenities as also over allegations of corruption, promising "transparency" and "transformation" if it was given control of the municipality.

The Congress and Nationalist Congres Party were routed again after their poor show in the elections to the Lok Sabha, and state assembly held in 2014 and also municipal council elections took place last year. The Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam has offered to resign. The Congress managed to win 31 seats against 52 in 2012 poll, NCP 9 against 14, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena 7 against 28 while Samajwadi party has bagged six, The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (3), Akhil Bharatiya Sena (1) and four independents. The recounting is underway on the ward number 220 where BJP candidate Atul Shah and Shiv Sena nominee Surendra Bagalkar had scored equal votes. Congress and NCP failed miserably to encash the division between BJP and Sena while MNS, who had won 28 seats in 2012 poll, was unable to improve its tally due to poor organizational back up.

The election results will be quite significant for the BJP and the Shiv Sena as they had parted ways after acrimonious relationship just few days ahead the BMC poll following lack of understanding over seat sharing.Incidentally, Shiv Sena and BJP were ruling the BMC, which is Asia's largest civic body with an annual budget of over Rs 37,000 crore. Senior BJP minister Chandrakant Patil indicated that the post-poll alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena was the only viable alternative to rule BMC. However, Patil reiterated that transparency will be focal point for alignment between the two parties and thereafter in the administration.

Shiv Sena legislator Anil Parab said the party president Uddhav Thackeray will take a final call in this regard.

Immediately after the counting was over the Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar said that already independent Rahar Raja Khan has extended his support to BJP. He hinted three other independents may follow the bandwagon. ''It is the vote for the policies adopted by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and also tireless work done by the party workers. I dedicate party's victory to the Mumbaikars,'' he noted.

"It is a tight slap for those who had said that the BJP will not get 40 seats in the BMC election,'' said BJP minister Vinod Tawde without identifying Shiv Sena.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congtress Committee spokesman Ratnakar Mahajan  said “The results are mixed, with the party doing well in zilla parishads while suffering reverses in the municipal corporations. It is definitely a setback. Whether there has been a disconnect between voters and the party leaders should be seen.” 

Its advantage Fadnavis as BJP puts up best ever show with 82 BMC seats

Sena wins 84 seats; BJP also wins 8 other municipal corporations and 25 ZPs

In a fiercely fought elections to the 227 member BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the erstwhile ruling partners Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party failed to reach to a magic figure of 114 required for simple majority. Shiv Sena, who had for the first time diluted its Marathi Manoos plank by reaching out to all sections, has won 84 while BJP, who approached voters on the transparency plank, bagged 81 seats just three short. Technically, Shiv Sena has succeeded to retain its supremacy in BMC but has upped its tally by mere nine seats compared to 75 seats in 2012 poll. However, BJP's rise has been stunning to 81 seats mere 32 in 2012 .BJP has also set to win eight out of the 10 major municipal corporations in Maharashtra where elections were held. Lotus bloomed across Maharashtra. The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who led from the front, has sailed through another big test. Of the 1066 seats declared BJP has won a record 521 seats. Of the 25 zilla parishads, BJP has shown .

In a fiercely fought elections to the 227-member BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the erstwhile ruling partners Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party failed to reach the magic figure of 114 required for simple majority.

Shiv Sena, who had for the first time diluted its Marathi Manoos plank by reaching out to all sections, has won 84 while BJP, who approached voters on the transparency front, bagged 82 seats, just two short. Technically, Shiv Sena has succeeded to retain its supremacy in BMC but has upped its tally by mere nine seats compared to 75 seats in 2012 poll. However, BJP's rise has been stunning from mere 32 in 2012.

Both the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray remain non-committal on a tie-up in BMC.

“The party’s core committee will decide if the Shiv Sena can be seen as an ally or not. The core committee will decide what needs to be done about the BMC. I haven't spoken to Uddhav Thackeray,” said Fadnavis. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted "Extremely thankful to the sisters & brothers of Maharashtra" tweets PM Modi after BJP's performance in BMC polls. I congratulate the entire team of Maharashtra BJP. Through hardwork, determination and work on the ground, the BJP now a strong force both in urban and rural Maharashtra. ''

Apart from Mumbai, the city corporations which went to polls were Thane, Ulhasnagar, Nashik, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Solapur, Akola, Amravati and Nagpur.

BJP has also set to win eight out of the 10 major municipal corporations in Maharashtra where elections were held. Lotus bloomed across Maharashtra. The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who led from the front, has sailed through another big test. Of the 1,066 seats declared, BJP has won a record 521 seats. Of the 25 zilla parishads, BJP has shown sterling performance. A visibly relaxed Fadnavis attributed party's victory to the anti-corruption policies implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He told reporters that BJP's victory was due to the overwhelming support by voters for party's transparency plank.

On BJP’s strong showing, Uddhav said: “Cannot call it a BJP victory.  You must assess it keeping in mind the money and muscle they put into the elections.”

Fadnavis has also been credited with the BJP's big gains in the first part of civic elections in the state held a few months ago, mostly at the cost of the Congress and NCP in their rural Maharashtra strongholds. In its campaign for the BMC, the BJP targeted the Shiv Sena over the poor state of Mumbai's roads and other amenities as also over allegations of corruption, promising "transparency" and "transformation" if it was given control of the municipality.

The Congress and Nationalist Congres Party were routed again after their poor show in the elections to the Lok Sabha, and state assembly held in 2014 and also municipal council elections took place last year. The Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam has offered to resign. The Congress managed to win 31 seats against 52 in 2012 poll, NCP 9 against 14, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena 7 against 28 while Samajwadi party has bagged six, The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (3), Akhil Bharatiya Sena (1) and four independents. The recounting is underway on the ward number 220 where BJP candidate Atul Shah and Shiv Sena nominee Surendra Bagalkar had scored equal votes. Congress and NCP failed miserably to encash the division between BJP and Sena while MNS, who had won 28 seats in 2012 poll, was unable to improve its tally due to poor organizational back up.

The election results will be quite significant for the BJP and the Shiv Sena as they had parted ways after acrimonious relationship just few days ahead the BMC poll following lack of understanding over seat sharing.Incidentally, Shiv Sena and BJP were ruling the BMC, which is Asia's largest civic body with an annual budget of over Rs 37,000 crore. Senior BJP minister Chandrakant Patil indicated that the post-poll alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena was the only viable alternative to rule BMC. However, Patil reiterated that transparency will be focal point for alignment between the two parties and thereafter in the administration.

Shiv Sena legislator Anil Parab said the party president Uddhav Thackeray will take a final call in this regard.

Immediately after the counting was over the Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar said that already independent Rahar Raja Khan has extended his support to BJP. He hinted three other independents may follow the bandwagon. ''It is the vote for the policies adopted by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and also tireless work done by the party workers. I dedicate party's victory to the Mumbaikars,'' he noted.

"It is a tight slap for those who had said that the BJP will not get 40 seats in the BMC election,'' said BJP minister Vinod Tawde without identifying Shiv Sena.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congtress Committee spokesman Ratnakar Mahajan  said “The results are mixed, with the party doing well in zilla parishads while suffering reverses in the municipal corporations. It is definitely a setback. Whether there has been a disconnect between voters and the party leaders should be seen.” 

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