BMC Election 2017: Why this 'mini vidhan sabha' poll is huge prestige battle between Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai: Polling for the cash-rich and crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) got underway on Tuesday morning with estranged allies BJP and Shiv Sena at the forefront of this battle of might. 

This crucial BMC electoral battle has become a matter of prestige for Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Here are key reasons why the BMC results are so important for Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray:-

- As the Sena and the BJP could not agree over seat sharing leading to the Shiv Sena announcing that the partnership is finished, this Udhav Thackeray has said he will be pulling out of the BJP-led state and central governments after the civic polls.

- The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be a trial of survival for the ruling Shiv Sena while BJP is seeing the electoral battle to take control of Asia's richest civic body to create space for itself in the city's political landscape.

- If the Shiv Sena loses control of the BMC, it will be a major dent to the party in the Maharashtra political space

- If BJP wins the elections, it will be a huge gain for the party after it emerged victorious in the last national and assembly elections

Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray, who have led their respective parties from the front and were involved in a high decibel and no holds barred campaign relegating the Opposition Congress and NCP to the background.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is India’s richest civic body.

The result of BMC election 2017 will be out on 23 February.

There are 227 seats in the BMC. The Shiv Sena had won 75 of the 227 seats last time, with the BJP winning 31, the Congress 52 and the NCP 13. 

The big poll focus will be on 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), retaining control of which is vital for Shiv Sena as the city has remained its prime political space ever since the party's formation in 1966.