MUMBAI: The Maharashtra BJP emerged victorious once again on Tuesday by bagging Chairman’s posts in 10 out of 25 Zilla Parishads. With this the party has emerged the biggest party in Zilla Parishads. Earlier the party had emerged numero uno in Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Panchayat Samities across the State.
The Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP together prevented the BJP from grabbing power in at least five more ZPs. The gaps in the unusual alliance let the BJP grab power in at least five ZPs.
“BJP members have been elected to Chairman’s post in Jalgaon, Sangli, Kolhapur, Buldana, Vardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Beed and Latur Zilla Parishads, while in Solapur a BJP supported candidate has been elected to the post. BJP members have also won Deputy Chairman’s posts in eight districts,” party spokesperson Madhav Bhandari told media here in the evening.
The NCP, the Congress and the Shiv Sena could win in six, five and four Zilla Parishad Chairman’s seats respectively. Out of the 1,509 seats in the 25 Zilla Parishads, the BJP had won 406, NCP 360, Congress 309 and Sena 271.
Out of the 25 Zilla Parishads that went to polls in February this year, 11 Zilla Parishads had returned a hung house. They were Sangli, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Nashik, Jalgaon, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Aurangabad, Jalna, Hingoli and Beed. The BJP had a clear mandate in Five and today’s results have made it clear that they could win five more by luring smaller parties or individuals in five more Zilla Parishads.
The Shiv Sena had absolute majority in Ratnagiri Zilla Parishad and they grabbed power in Nashik, Jalna and Aurangabad Zilla Parishads with the help of Congress.
The NCP won Pune, Satara, Parbhani, Osmanabad, Raigad and Hingoli with the help of the Congress and the Shiv Sena, while the Congress grabbed Yavatmal, Amravati, Nanded, Ahemadnagar and Sindhudurga ZP primarily with Shiv Sena’s help.
Sources in the Sena disclosed that the local Sena leaders in some places refused to tow the party leaderships directive arguing that after having fought the elections bitterly against the Congress and NCP, it is unthinkable to now join hands with them.
The BJP got support of the Congress and the NCP in some of the Zilla Parishads on Tuesdayagainst each other.