Municipal Council polls: BJP comes out on top, Shiv Sena 2nd
After a week of experiencing reverses in the bypolls for 21 seats in local authorities, after Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance won the highest number of seats — 11, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained its number one position after results of general election held in six municipal councils for 115 seats came out. BJP has won 49 seats followed by Shiv Sena which won 22 seats. Girish Mahajan, minister for water resources and senior BJP minister, won all 24 seats, including post of president in Jamner Municipal council. Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP did not win any post of president in the six municipal councils.
The election was held at Guhagar and Devrukh in Ratnagiri district, Kankavali (Sindhudurg), Ajara (Kolhapur), Jamner (Jalgaon) and Vaijapur (Aurangabad) municipal council for 115 seats. The results of six MCs were declared on Thursday in which local aghadi and nonregional party won 19 seats including Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksh (MSP), Tararani Aghadi and Shahar Vikas Aghadi.
NCP won eight seats, Congress won four and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) won single seat out of total 115 seats. MNS won in Devrukh MC.
In direct president elections, BJP won in three out of six MCs including Devrukh, Jamner and Vaijapur municipal council. MSP won Kankvali, Tararani aghadi won Ajara and Shahar Vikas Aghadi won Guhagar.
In Guhagar, Shahar Vikas Aghadi (local alliance) supported by Shiv Sena won nine out of 17 seats. The aghadi was against Bhaskar Jadhav, sitting legislator of NCP. Jadhav was earlier with Shiv Sena, but quit the party before 2009 assembly election and won the seat from Guhagar constituency. He was minister in previous Congress-NCP regime. There were whispers that Jadhav may rejoin Sena. But the result shows, Sena has given answer to these possibilities.
In Jamner, Sadhana, wife of BJP minister Girish Mahajan won the election of president. She defeated Professor Anjali Pawar, NCP candidate. This result proved single handed hold of Mahajan in his constituency. Eknath Khadse, former BJP minister has hold on all local bodies including Jalgaon Municipal Corporation, Zilla Parishad, District Cooperative bank, Agriculture Produce Market Committee
and other cooperative bodies. Remaining municipal council are under control of supporter of Khadse except Janmer of Mahajan, his rival within the party.
Ajara is controlled by Chandrakant Patil, minister for revenue and senior BJP minister. Tara Rani aghadi is his brain child. The aghadi won 9 out of total 17 seats. NCP won 3, Congress-3, Shiv Sena 1 and two independent won the poll. Aghadi won the president post election.
In Vaijapur municipal council, Shiv Sena won majority with victory in 13 seats out of total 23 seats. However, the party lose poll for president post. BJP won 9 seats with president post. Hence, though the Sena will have majority in house, they will be controlled by president of BJP.
A week ago, in the bypoll for 21 seats in various municipal corporations, municipal council, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishads, Congress-NCP alliance had won 11 seats and reached number one position. Raosaheb Danve, state president of BJP, claimed that people are happy with PM Narendra Modi and CM Devendra Fadnavis and hence voted for BJP.