Maharashtra: BJP registers stunning victory in Latur, Chandrapur; Congress wins Parbhani

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday scripted outstanding victories in elections to Latur and Chandrapur municipal corporations in Maharashtra.

The BJP's winning streak was, however, obstructed by Congress in Parbhani, which wrested its control from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Around 62 percent turnout was registered in the polling held on Wednesday for the Chandrapur, Parbhani and Latur municipal corporations.

After winning the elections, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated “all katyakartas who worked hard for this victory!” “And @BJP4India 's epic winning spree continues...,” the CM tweeted.

“We will work harder and continue to work for every citizen with our mantra of good governance to serve the last man !,” he further said.

By winning 36 seats this time from zero in 2012, the BJP has scripted history in Latur. Out of 70 seats, Congress has won only 33 and Nationalist Congress Party one.

In the 70-member Latur corporation, it was a test of political clout for BJP leader and state minister Sambhajirao Nilangekar and the local Congress MLA Amit Deshmukh, the son of former chief minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Congress, which controls the corporation, had got a drubbing in the recent local body polls in Latur district.

The city had faced acute water crisis last year and government had to transport water by railway waggons at the peak of summer.

Here 407 candidates were in the fray whose fate was be decided by 2.78 lakh voters.

Chandrapur (in Vidarbha), the home turf of senior BJP leader and Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, saw the BJP winning 36 out of 66 seats. Congress, which had been at the helm, finished at the second spot with 12 seats; Bahujan Samaj Party – 8, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena – 2, Nationalist Congress Party – 2, Shiv Sena – 2, Independent – 4.

Finally, the good news came for Congress from Parbhani where it won 31 out of 65 seats.

The Nationalist Congress Party grabbed 18 seats; BJP – 8, Shiv Sena – 6, Others 2.

The Parbhani municipal corporation was earlier seen as the battle between the incumbent NCP and Shiv Sena.

It was seen as a test for district guardian minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Diwakar Raote. There were 418 candidates in the fray; number of voters was 2.12 lakh.

The elections to three municipal corporations were considered as an acid test for the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress and the NCP.

A total of 1,285 candidates were in the fray for the 201 seats in the three municipal corporations, whose fate was decided by 7.93 lakh voters across 1,038 polling stations.

The stakes were high especially for the BJP as it was not in power in these three municipal corporations.