MUMBAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is heading for a big win in the 78 member Panvel Municipal Corporation while it was trailing in the the powerloom towns Bhiwandi and Malegaon where Congress has taken a lead.
The polling for these three civic bodies took place on Wednesday. The elections to these three bodies had taken place against the backdrop of BJP’s sterling performance in the recently held polls to the 13 municipal corporations, 25 Zilla Parishads and 210 Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat.
BJP is leading in 51 seats while the left of centre Peasants & Workers Party (PWP) has established lead on 25 seats. BJP had gone solo and contested the election under the leadership of former MP Ram Thakur and his son and the party legislator Prashant Thakur. On its part, PWP had faced the voters while forming pre poll alliance with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress. So far Congress and NCP have yet to open their account.
BJP’s ruling ally at the Centre and in the state, Shiv Sena had formed pre poll alliance with Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana are yet to open account.
As far as Bhiwandi and Malegaon are concerned, Congress has regained its ground. In the 84 member Malegaon civic body, Congress emerged as single largest party by winning 28 seats followed by NCP-Janata Dal alliance 26 seats, Shiv Sena 13. Ironically, BJP came on fourth by winning 9 seats while MIM got seven seat and one independent. Congress and NCP-Janata Dal are expected to take the control of the civic body. Both BJP and Shiv Sena have fought the poll independently.
In the 90 member Bhiwandi civic body, the faction ridden Congress party has emerged as the single largest party by winning 46 seats. BJP has failed to show its magic as it could win mere 20 seats while 12 by Shiv Sena. The saffron parties had gone solo. NCP failed to open its account. Bhiwandi city Congress chief Shoab Guddu told DNA ‘’The voters have denied BJP and they have wholeheartedly supported the Congress party.’’
During poll campaign the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had called upon the voters to vote BJP to get majority assuring government’s assistance for an overall development.
In case of BJP’s victory in Panvel, the inclusion of some of the areas, which were earlier part of the City and Industrial Development Corporation, has helped the party to encash Modi wave. Apart from this, BJP succeeded to effectively sell the development card to the voters during the much hyped campaigning.
Thakur father and son also strongly approached the voters how Panvel will be transformed due to slew of decisions by the Centre and the state government including the development of Navi Mumbai international airport, expansion of Jawaharlal Nehru Port, development of special economic zone and keeping in place additional road network to decongest the city.
COUNTING TRENDS
Panvel : Total seats 78
BJP – 51 | PWP 25
Bhiwandi: Total seats 90
Congress: 46 | BJP: 20 | Shiv Sena – 14 | NCP -0
Malegaon: Total Seats 84 (results declared)
Congress- 28 | NCP-Janata Dal alliance – 26 | Shiv Sena – 13, BJP- 9 | MIM- 7
