Sharad Pawar-led NCP scored an edge over the BJP in the second phase of municipal council polls held in two districts of Maharashtra, bagging 93 seats out of 324 even as the ruling party won 5 municipal council president seats.
The polling to elect 324 councillors and 14 municipal council presidents in Latur and Pune districts was held yesterday, with 72.18 per cent voters exercising their franchise.
As per the results declared today, the BJP, which had emerged as the top grosser in first round of local bodies polls held last month, was pushed to second position with 81 seats, followed by Congress (45), Shiv Sena (23), Independents (26), AIMIM (6), while Others, including unrecognised parties (36) and local 'aghadis' or fronts (14), won 50 seats.
Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena drew a blank in all seats.
BJP, however, has the consolation of having bagged five municipal council president seats, pushing behind NCP and Congress who won two seats each, while its alliance partner Shiv Sena could win just one.
While the BJP put up an impressive performance in Pune district, the NCP demonstrated its supremacy in Pawar's home turf Baramati, retaining the municipal council as well as the post of its president.
BJP won municipal council president posts in Lonavala, Talegaon-Dabhade and Alandi (in Pune district) and Udgir and Nilanga (in Latur district), state Election Commission officials said here.
Congress bagged 2 municipal council president seats in Indapur and Jejuri (both in Pune district), NCP won Baramati (Pune district) and Ausa (Latur district). Shiv Sena won Junnar municipal council president seat in Pune district.
While Daund municipal council president seat in Pune district went to an Independent, three seats in Saswad, Shirur (both in Pune district) and Udgir (in Latur district) were won by 'Janmat Vikas Agadi', 'Shahar Vikas Aghadi', and 'Bahujan Vikas Aghadi', respectively.
Hailing the results as the victory of BJP, state unit president Raosaheb Danve said, "Like in the first phase, the results of the second phase of polls showed that people have displayed their faith in PM Narendra Modi's demonetisation decision.
"People have liked the performance of the Modi and Fadnavis governments," he said, adding the results show that BJP continues to be the "number one" party in Maharashtra.
He said the NCP could win only Baramati civic chief's post on its own symbol.
As many as 1,326 candidates were in the fray for 324
seats while 106 candidates were competing for the post of municipal council president in the two districts.
Pune district Guardian Minister Girish Bapat said, "The BJP has received a massive success in the second phase as around 50 councillors have won in the 10 municipal councils and at three municipal councils, three president posts have been won."
He attributed the success to the rallies held by Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis and Danve.
In the first phase of elections held to 147 municipal councils and 17 Nagar Panchayats across 25 districts on November 27, the BJP came out on top, notching up the highest number of seats (893 as against 396 in the 2011 polls).
BJP had won 51 of the 147 municipal councils, which was the first time after 2001 that direct elections were held for council presidents.
It was followed by Shiv Sena with 25, Congress 23 and NCP with 18 posts. Eleven independents and 19 other candidates were also elected as municipal council presidents.
Fadnavis, who addressed several campaign rallies for the polls, had then received praise from Modi, who thanked people of Maharashtra "for placing their faith in BJP" in the local body polls. "This is a win for pro-poor and development politics of BJP," Modi had said.
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Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said the second phase results indicate 'response of the voters to critics of demonetisation.'
"Fadnavis and Danve ensured systematic planning for the polls. The results show that people have liked the BJP-led government's work," he said.
"The results show that the impact of the party's organisational network in the state," Upadhye added.
