Referring to the outcome in the bitterly fought Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections, the Shiv Sena said though it was challenged, it “roared” loudly and the people have put it on the threshold of capturing power. However, the BJP, with 42 seats, is also keen on having its own mayor elected.
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Further indicating a mellowed stance as against its aggressive posturing before the polls which saw ties with ally BJP plunge to a new low, the Sena said everyone needs to be taken along to ensure development. The immediate provocation seems to be a Sena and BJP clash on Thursday over replacing posters that led to a BJP functionary being beaten up by Sena activists. Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the Shiv Sena’s protestations as “drama”.
On the other hand, the BJP had made it a prestige issue with the chief minister and his soldiers luring voters with the announcement of a Rs.6,000 crore Smart City package right at the start of the election campaign, the Sena said. But despite the bitter campaigning, both leaders had asserted that they would continue with the alliance. The Congress could win just 4 wards, while NCP won 2.
The Sena leaders are unlikely to sit idle, at least till the crucial 2017 Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections.
Kalyan, Dombivali and other extended suburbs are witnessing rapid expansion, as thousands of residents of Mumbai, who can not afford to buy a home in the metropolis, opt for affordable homes in the area.
In the 81-ward Kolhapur Municipal Corporation in Western Maharashtra, Congress secured the maximum number of 27 seats, followed by NCP 15.
In the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the party was decimated, losing all seats it contested in the former, and reducing its tally from 13 to a single MLA in the latter, becoming a near political non-entity. Hoping to grab power, the Congress immediately announced that its nominee would be the next mayor. It also got the backing of three other candidates to cross the magic figure of 42 in the KMC.
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Meanwhile, state Co-operation Minister and Kolhapur’s Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil of BJP accepted the people’s verdict and said his party will work as a constructive opposition.
