MVA allies emerge as big winners in local bodies polls

Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, which are part of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state have emerged as big winners in the recently-held municipal council and nagar panchayat elections in three districts.

Of the total 51 seats in the Lanja Nagar Panchayat (Ratnagiri), Kanhan Pipari Municipal Council (Nagpur) and Gadchandur Municipal Council (Chandrapur), Shiv Sena won 17, Congress 14 and NCP four. The BJP won total 11 seats.

All the three local bodies have 17-member houses.

In Lanja, the Shiv Sena bagged nine seats and also clinched the president's post, while the BJP won three seats, Congress two and Independents three.

In Kanhan Pipari, BJP won six seats, Congress seven, Sena three. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party bagged the president's post there too.

In Gadchandur, the Congress and Sena won five seats each, NCP four, BJP two, while one seat went to an Independent. The Congress won the president's post here.

Voting for these municipal councils was held on January 9, while the results were declared the next day.

By-elections to four seats- one each in Talegaon Dabhade, Bhusawal, Nandura and Kalmeshwar municipal councils- were also held on Thursday.

While the BJP bagged the seat in Kalmeshwar (Nagpur) and Congress in Nandura (Buldhana), Bhusawal (Jalgaon) went to NCP and Talegaon Dabhade went to an Independent.

Bypoll to one seat each in six municipal corporations in the state also indicated a similar pattern.

While NCP and Sena won two seats in Nashik, JD(S) won a seat in Malegaon. BJP emerged victorious in Nagpur and Panvel, while Congress won in Latur and Shiv Sena in Mumbai.

The Zilla Parishad elections in Nandurbar, Dhule, Washim, Akola, Nagpur and Palghar also saw BJP lose its footing.

The saffron party lost Nagpur and won Dhule district council, while Congress, NCP, Sena and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) performed well in other places.