Shiv Sena led in Mumbai, while BJP gained impressively in other Municipal Corporations across the state.
Even as Shiv Sena emerged as the largest party in Mumbai, leading in over 90 seats, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday hit out at Shiv Sena after it was leading ahead in other cities across Maharashtra in the civic polls. Trends till late noon showed the Congress and the NCP trailing far behind them. BJP leader Vinod Tawde said his party had emerged as the overall leader in the elections in 10 municipal corporations and 25 zilla parishads. "The BJP is the number one party in Maharashtra," Tawde, who is also the state's Education Minister, told reporters outside the party office in Mumbai amid bursting of firecrackers by BJP workers, who were celebrating the party almost doubling its 2012 poll tally in BMC.
"This result is a befitting reply to Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut, who had said the BJP did not have the 'aukat' (ability) to win even 40 seats in the BMC," Tawde said. Meanwhile, Kirit Somaiya who had levelled corruption charges against Shiv Sena also hit out saying, "We have done it." Somaiya's son Neil also won the seat against Sena's Mukesh Karia.
Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said the party will "introspect" on reasons for the party's performance which was 'not as per expectations'. "We have worked hard to reach the number one position in Maharashtra and have taken the party beyond Mumbai and Thane," he said. Taking moral responsibility for Congress' poor performance in the BMC polls, Sanjay Nirupam resigned from the post of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee Chairman.
Senior Congress leader Milind Deora also took to Twitter saying, "Sadly, INC failed to halt infighting."
The Sena was leading in 93 seats and the BJP in 70 in the counting of votes for the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The Sena has been controlling the BMC for the last two decades with the backing of the BJP, but this time the two parties parted ways and decided to go at it alone, leading to a high-voltage campaign leading up to the civic election.
(With PTI inputs)
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