Shiv Sena-BJP alliance retains power in Mumbai Municipal Corporation

By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,

Mumbai: Despite the much-touted first-time alliance between Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for local body election in Mumbai and the emergence of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine on Friday almost captured the cash rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the fourth time in a row.

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Shiv Sena, BJP and third partner of the alliance RPI got 107 seats, just 7 short of simple majority in the 227-seat house. Congress-NCP combine has got 64 seats. Raj Thackeray led MNS is the major gainer as it improvised its tally from 7 seats in 2007 to 28 seats this year. Congress proved to be the biggest loser with all-time low of 50 seats from 54 seats in 2007. Samajwadi Party also enhanced its tally by one seat that is from 8 seats to 9 this year. As many as 19 seats have been won by Independents and other smaller parties. They may join SS-BJP alliance.

BMC head office

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chauhan, the architect of Congress-NCP alliance conceded defeat in Mumbai. He cautiously stated, “We lost in Mumbai and Thane but in the other Municipal bodies the results are good. We need to examine the result of Mumbai.” He also blamed Samajwadi Party for the division of secular votes.

In the first reaction Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena said, “Mumbaikers slapped Congress-NCP. Executive President of the party Uddhav Thackeray thanked Mumbaikers and expressed his views as, “Those who wanted to destroy us have been destroyed themselves.”

A banner outside the residence of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray thanking Mumbaikers for voting the party in BMC election

Abu Asim Azmi in his press release thanked the Mumbaikers and claimed, “Percentage and seat of SP have increased. We are thankful to Mumbaikers and will continue to work for poor and slum dwellers.”

Shiv Sena-BJP also retained the corporation of Thane, Nagpur whereas Congress-NCP won the election in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Solapur, Amravati, Ulhas nagar, Nashik, and Akola will have hung corporation and there are every chances of horsetrading.

Results of 10 Municipal Election in Maharashtra