The ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners – Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – wrested power in a majority of the Gram Panchayats in Maharashtra on Monday, amid claims by the Opposition BJP that it had emerged number one party in the elections.
Given that the Gram Panchayat elections are not fought on party symbols, there was no official data on the poll outcome. However, unconfirmed reports indicated that the ruling MVA had collectively captured power in a maximum number of Gram Panchayats in the elections to 14,234 local self-bodies that went to polls.
However, as per the election results available till late in the evening suggested that of the total gram panchayats that went to polls, the candidates in elections in 1,523 local bodies were elected unopposed.
From the results trends available, the ruling Shiv Sena had emerged as single largest party with 1,900 gram panchqyats in its kitty already, while its alliance partner NCP had also captured power 1,507 gram panchayats and the Congresss had walked away with 1,365 gram panchayats. On its, the BJP competing neck and neck with the Shiv Sena by winning little below or around 1900 gram panchyarts.
On his part, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee Chairman and State Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat claimed that the MVA partners had won 80 per cent of the 14,000-odd gram panchayats that went to polls and that the Congress had won a majority in 4000 gram panchyats across the state.
“With these results, it is clear that the people of the state have shown their faith in the work done by the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government in the last one year. The BJP has suffered a crushing defeat in the state and the BJP leaders should accept the defeat with open heart instead of misleading the people by giving false figures,” Thorat said.
In a related development, former chief minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis claimed that the BJP had emerged as the number one party in the Gram Panchayat elections. “In Vidarbha, we have scored a pheneominal victory. In Konkan we are getting good results. Especially in Sindhudurg where Rane family and Ravindra Chavamn worked, we have won 80 per cent of the Grampanchayats,” Fadnavis said.
Disputing the claims of a victory by Fadnavis, Thoart said that the people of the state had shown great faith in the MVA government and the results of today's Gram Panchayat elections have further validated their trust.”In Kolhapur, Nandurbar, Latur, Nanded, Amravati, Yavatmal, Nagpur, Wardha, Chandrapur, Osmanabad, Washim and Buldhana districts, Congress has emerged as the No. 1 party. The people have shown faith in the candidates of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena by defeating BJP in these elections as well just like they did in the recent legislative council elections,” he said.
Thorat said that in the Vidarbha region, the Congress party has achieved great success and has won more than 50 per cent of the Gram Panchayats. The people of Vidarbha have helped Congress gain unprecedented success in these elections. Thorat also expressed confidence that the Congress would emerge as the number one party in Marathwada. The voting percentage and seats of the Congress had increased in Marathwada.