Zeenews Bureau
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena-BJP-RPI combine on Friday emerged as the biggest bloc in the elections for 227-seat Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), winning 106 seats in the country’s richest municipal body.
However, in the closely contested election, no party or combine managed to cross the magical figure of 114 seats required to retain control of BMC.
Out of the total 227 seats, the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP-RPI combine won the maximum number of seats (106) and thus may regain control of the BMC if the bloc manages to secure the support of eight independents.
As per the final tally, the Shiv Sena won 75, BJP 30 and RPI one. However their performance fell short of half-way mark of 114 seats required to retain control of the BMC.
The Congress won 48 seats, its ally NCP got 18. Raj Thackeray’s MNS emerged victorious in 28 seats; while others bagged 27 seats.
A total of 2232 candidates were in the fray for 227-seat BMC, the counting for which began at 9 am today.
Importantly, incumbent Mayor of Mumbai, Shradha Jadhav, retained her seat.
Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan called
the result as "surprising" and conceded defeat.
"The result is surprising...unexpected. We tried to
consolidate secular votes but could not meet with desired
outcome," Chavan told reporters.
In 2007 polls, Shiv Sena had won 84 seats and BJP 28,
but obtained a majority with the help of four independents,
taking their tally to 116.
Fighting separately, Congress had won 75 seats and NCP
14. Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) won 7
seats and Samajwadi Party 7
Other prominent winners
Shiv Sena: Suresh Bagalkar, Sanjay Ghaadi, Shubdha Patankar, Vaibhavi Chavan and Manjari Parab, Milind Vaid, Pramod Sawant, Ganesh Sankap, Trishna Viswasrao, Rahul Yelwale and Alka Doke
Congress: Sunanda Lokare, Seema Mahulkar, Pallavi Mungekar, Shivanand Shetty, Ravi Raja, Sagar Singh Thakur, Sunil More, Nayan Seth, gyanraj Nikam and Lalita Yadav
MNS: Prakash Derkar, Suresh Awale, Mangal Kadam
NCP: Chandan Sharma
BJP: Manoj Kotak, Mahant Chaubey and Rajshri Shivadkar
The Shiv Sena had contesting on 135 seats and BJP on 63. On the other hand Congress had fielded candidates on 170 seats and its alliance partner NCP on 57 seats. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray s was the fray for the second time with 223 candidates, while BSP staked claims on 133 seats, SP (115), Communist Party (16), CPM (5), Janata Dal (Secular) (13), All India Forward Block (1), Lok Janshakti Party (9), Rashtriya Janata Dal (6), Janata Dal United (5).
The polling was held yesterday in Mumbai along with in nine other municipal bodies across the state.
Mumbai marked a turnout of only 45 percent; however, a top civic official said that the voter percentage has gone up by three percent as compared to 2007.
Billed as a mini-Assembly election, the polls are not just a test for Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray and his son Uddhav Thackeray but is also a pointer of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan’s strength in state politics.
While the Sena is desperately trying to extend its 16-year rule in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for another five years in alliance with BJP and Ramdas Athavale's RPI, the Congress has stitched up an alliance with NCP for the first time for the civic body polls.
First Published: Friday, February 17, 2012, 09:44