Pankaja Munde offers to resign after BJP loses on her home turf
Mayor Snehal Ambekar, and former Mayors Milind Vaidya, Vishakha Raut, and Shraddha Jadhav all emerged successful. However, several of the party’s strong candidates had to also face defeat. These included Shiv Sena standing committee chairman Yashodhar Phanse and senior leader Devendra Ambedkar .
The BJP managed to make an entry in Shiv Sena’s bastion, the Marathi heartland of Dadar, with the victory of Sheetal Gambhir, daughter of former Sena legislator Suresh Gambhir. The party also registered a victory in Andheri West, Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Goregaon, Borivali, Sion Koliwada and so on.
BJP’s member of parliament (MP) Kirit Somaiya’s son, Neil Somaiya, also emerged successful from Mulund, prompting his father to call it a victory of “transparency,” a plank that Somaiya was constantly using to target Sena.
Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde on Thursday offered to quit the Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra after BJP’s poor performance in the civic polls in her Beed district constituency.
However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Raosaheb Danve sought to downplay the issue.
“I had a word with Pankaja Munde. Victory never went into our head and we never got depressed with defeat. We will decide about her stand (resignation),” Danve said.
“I personally do not find a valid reason behind her decision to put in the papers. I feel people’s issues will not be solved by her resignation,” he told news agency PTI.
The BJP leader also dismissed reports of infighting in the party.
“There is no infighting in BJP. We are all working together. Her resignation has nothing to do with BJP and her disappointment with BJP. I have already said BJP would be the number one party (in the state),” he said.
The BJP is set to make decisive gains in civic polls in Maharashtra even as it continued to be locked in a photo finish with its bickering ally Shiv Sena in Mumbai, the latest counting trends suggest.
FOLLOWING CONGRESS’ DISMAL SHOWING, CITY PARTY CHIEF SANJAY NIRUPAM OFFERED TO RESIGN, TAKING BLAME FOR THE LACKLUSTRE PERFORMANCE