By IANS,
Mumbai : Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Agadhi Monday won the first ever election to the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation, on the outskirts of north Mumbai, capturing 55 of the 89 wards.
“We had expected to win over 50 wards and we got it. I thank all those who had faith in the party and those who elected members of our party,” Thakur said.
Vivek Pandit-led Jan Andolan Samiti contested from 38 wards and won 19. Out of 48 wards the Congress contested, it won only two.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) failed to open their account from any of the 46 wards they contested, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won one ward out of the 17 contested.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena won from one ward out of 17 contested, while Shiv Sena won from three wards out of 40. Independents won in eight wards.
As many as 383 candidates spread over 89 wards had contested the elections. One candidate of Bahujan Vikas Agadhi was declared elected unopposed.
The election took place Sunday with approximately 43 percent of the 6.5 lakh electorate exercising their franchise, said election officers.
There were 603 polling booths with around 3,500 polling staff on duty.
Situated on the outskirts of north Mumbai, the Vasai taluka had four municipal councils — Vasai, Nala Sopara, Virar and Navghar-Manickpur — and 72 gram panchayats. They were all dissolved and the municipal corporation was formed July 3, 2009.