With 28 MNS corporators abstaining from voting in the election to two Mumbai Local Authorities constituency seats which went to polls yesterday it will be an uphill task for sitting Congress MLC (Member of Legislative Council) Ashok alias Bhai Jagtap to retain his seat.
Out of the total 230 Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) corporators eligible for voting only 201 corporators cast their ballot.
Also, matters for the Congress turned worse amid unconfirmed reports that a sizable 20 Congress croporators cross voted in favour of Independent candidate and former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Prasad Lad.
The low voter turnout of 87.39 per cent for the two Mumbai Local Authorities constituency has heightened the tension for Congress.
Besides 28 MNS corporators, one more corporator did not vote.
The trouble for Congress compounded further with the Samajwadi Party (SP) declaring support of its eight corporators to the candidature of Lad.
There are three candidates in the fray for the two Mumbai Local Authorities constituency seats.
Jagtap is facing challenge from Lad for one seat.
While sitting Shiv Sena MLC and Minister for Environment Ramdas Kadam is sitting pretty with virtual no contestant in the fray against him.
Moreover, the Sena has 88 corporators' support, besides 31 corporators of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), taking its total tally to 119 corporators.
The BJP has extended its support to Sena's Kadam.
Apart from those in Mumbai, four other local authorities constituencies in Maharashtra also went to polls yesterday.
In Ahmednagar local authorities constituency, sitting NCP MLC Arunkaka Jagtap was locked in a four cornered contest.
Here out of the 429 voters, 428 voters voted with the polling percentage being 99.77 per cent.
Jagtap is facing rebel Congress former legislator Jayant Sasane, besides Shashikant Gade (Sena) and Machindra Supekar (Independent).
A Congress versus rebel Congress contest is also on for
the Kolhapur local authorities constituency.
In Dhule-Nandurbar local authorities constituency sitting Congress MLC Amrishbhai Patel is in direct contest with BJP's Dr Shashikant Wani. Out of the total 395 corporators, 392 corporators voted with the overall voting percentage being 99.24 per cent.
Here, Amrishbhai Patel holds the edge in the direct contest.
Sitting NCP MLC Dipakbaba Salunkhe is also facing a direct contest with Independent candidate Prashant Paricharak for the Solapur local authorities constituency.
Out of total 398 voters, 396 voters cast their ballot, with the overall voting percentage being 99.50 percent.
Hundred per cent voting was recorded in the election to Kolhapur local authorities constituency where it is a straight contest between rebel sitting former Congress MLC Mahadevrao Mahadik who is pitted against former Congress minister Satej alias Bunty Patil.
Here all the 382 corporators cast their ballot.
In Akola-Washim-Buldhana local authorities constituency, out of the 788 corporators 786 corporators voted, with a overall voting percentage of 99.75 per cent.
Here it is a straight contest between sitting Sena MLC Gopikisan Bajoriya and NCPs Ravindra Sapkal.
There was no voting for the Nagpur local authorities constituency held yesterday as there was just one nomination filed by Girishchandra Vyas (BJP).
He will be declared elected unopposed when the counting of votes for the rest of the seats is taken up on December 30.
In all, there are 15 candidates in the fray for the six local authorities constituencies for which voting was held yesterday. Out of the total 2,622 croporators, 2585 corporators cast their ballot, with the overall voting percentage of 98.59 percent being recorded.
