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Mumbai: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday once again claimed that it has once again emerged on top in the results to around 1,100-odd Gram Panchayats in 18 districts of Maharashtra.
A jubilant Devendra Fadnavis, who is the senior leader of the State BJP as well as the Deputy Chief Minister, said that of the results to 889 GPs (of a total 1,165 GPs) which were out, the BJP has won in 397 while the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena faction had won 81 – more than half of the total GPs.
The senior state BJP leader remarked, “The results indicate people of State have yet again reposed faith in the ruling BJP and the Shinde faction (Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena). The BJP continues to be the ‘Number 1’ party. We had emerged on top in the previous GP polls as well. Our current lead on nearly 500 GPs is more than the combined score of the three Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties (Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress).”
Fadnavis argued that the BJP had carefully tracked the Gram Panchayat results, he stressed that the party was not making any hollow claim when it said it had won in nearly 400 GPs.
The Deputy Chief Minister claimed that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena faction, known as the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray had won in 87 GPs while the Congress managed to win in 104 and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP had to remain contended with just 98 GPs. Counting was still underway with results to around 200 GPs yet to be declared.
While the Congress and the NCP leaders, without offering precise figures, claimed that GP elections are never fought on any party symbol and that any party could claim anything. However, observers noted that the ground had undeniably shifted from under the feet of the Congress in the State’s rural hinterland.
An election analyst who did not wish to be named said, “Even if one does not believe the BJP’s claims, the results indicate that the saffron party, once predominant only in urban areas, have cemented their dominance in the rural belt as well.”
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan argued that several factors determined the outcome of local bodies elections.
“Many parties will be making similar claims and counter-claims. It is pointless claiming victory when the GP polls are not fought on any party symbol,” he argued further.
In September this year, claims and counter-claims had flown thick and fast following the results to GP polls held across 17 districts with both the ruling BJP and the Shinde faction as well as the opposition MVA parties claiming victory across the State’s rural hinterland.
At the time, the BJP had claimed victory over 259 of 580 seats while their ally, the Sena faction led by Chief Minister Shinde had staked victory on 40 seats, taking the coalition tally to 299.
Commenting upon the GP results, Maharashtra Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar pointed out that unless a sarpanch gave it in writing which party he supports, no political party could sweepingly claim that they had won the GP polls.
