Shiv Sena-BJP combine emerge winner in BMC polls

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

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

Vote for minicipal election, across 10 cities in Maharashtra today

The elections for the richest civic body in the country - the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation or the BMC - are being held across 10 cities in Maharashtra today.

The BMC has an annual budget of more than 20,000 crores. The municipal election is hence a fiercely contested battle.

The Shiv Sena and the BJP together won the last election in 2007. This time, while the ruling Shiv Sena is fighting to retain its bastion, for the first time ever, the Congress is contesting the local election in partnership with Sharad Pawar's party the NCP, with who it runs the state government. Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is pegged as a dark horse and is seen as the likely kingmaker in what many say could be a neck-and-neck contest. 

The high-stakes elections, analysts say, will gauge the mood of voters ahead of the general elections in 2014. Hence most candidates and parties ended up spending much more than the set limit on campaigning. Sources have told NDTV that major political parties like the Congress, the NCP, the Shiva Sena, the BJP and the MNS have spent around Rs. 150 crore on campaigning in Mumbai, Rs. 90 crore in Nagpur, Rs. 60 crore in Pune and Rs. 40 crore in Nashik.       

Yesterday, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said the municipal corporation elections will be a "turning point" in state politics.

"The elections will be a turning point. They will see communal parties like Shiv Sena losing their relevance," he told reporters at his official residence 'Varsha'.

Asked about the response to rallies addressed by Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leaders, Mr Chavan said the crowds would not translate into votes.

To a query on the war of words between Congress minister Narayan Rane and NCP's Ajit Pawar, Mr Chavan said the bitterness expressed by them was a reaction to local incidents and was not a tectonic shift in relationship between the ruling alliance partners.

The Chief Minister also expressed disappointment over Samajwadi Party's role in these polls.

"The role of SP is negative. I suspect there may be underhand understanding between SP and Shiv Sena. The SP is dividing the secular vote. The fight in these polls will be a UPA versus NDA fight," he said.

Mr Chavan said the Rs. one crore cash haul in Amravati was party fund meant for Congress candidates.

"We need to have a more defined way of how party funds are collected," he said.

Raj Thackeray: Congress will be finished in civic polls

Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray called for a permit system for Mumbai to curb the influx of migrants.

"There should be a permit system for Mumbai, like the one in Russia. There, police keep a record of when someone has arrived and left your house," he said at a rally on Monday.

Making light of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's remark that Shiv Sena will become "inconsequential" after the February 16 Mumbai civic polls, Thackeray said the outfit will retain power in India's financial capital.

"Do you have a vanishing cream that you will wish the Sena away? Our party won't be finished. Instead, it will be Congress which will be routed in the poll," he said, addressing a campaign rally of the Sena-BJP-RPI alliance, in suburban Bandra.

Almost 80 Senas were formed after our party came into being, but no one has been able to take our place, he said.

On his friendship with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Thackeray said they have been friends since the time Pawar watched the first Sena rally in 1966 at Shivaji Park, from the sidelines.

However, he targeted senior NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal over the the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam. "Who protected you in the Telgi case?" Thackeray asked.

Thackeray also flayed Sonia Gandhi, calling her "an Italian woman, who is now ruling us."

The entire Gandhi family, including Rahul, Priyanka, Robert Vadra and his children participated in the UP poll campaign, he said.

"I won't let dynastic rule take place in Sena," Thackeray said.

He added, Son Uddhav was made the party executive president at the behest of nephew Raj Thackeray, who was then in the Sena, while Uddhav's son Aditya was "chosen" by the college youths as their leader.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj welcomes Bal Thackeray to his party

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, who parted ways with the Shiv Sena in January 2006, Monday night said he was willing to "walk a hundred steps" for his uncle Balasaheb Thackeray and added that the doors of his party were always open for the Sena founder.

"It hurt me when I left Shiv Sena. I respect Balasaheb and will continue to respect him. I am ready to walk a hundred steps for him, but for Uddhav and his colleagues I will not walk a single step," he said addressing a public meeting at Worli in central Mumbai.

In an interview Bal Thackeray had said that "doors (of the Sena) are open for (Raj)."

Recounting his days in the Sena, Raj said his services were utilised only during the elections.

"I was away from politics from 2001 to 2003. I was thinking of exiting from politics. However, in 2004 I was asked by the Sena chief to get ready for electioneering. Whenever elections were due I was remembered. I was used only for campaigning. There was no responsibility bestowed upon me. My only work was to campaign," he recalled during his speech.

Raj said he was given the responsibility of Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri only because Narayan Rane had left the party.

"It was due to this kind of functioning that I had to quit the party," he added.

Attacking Uddhav, Raj said when a youth was killed in Jaitapur in police firing during a protest, Uddhav flew to Nagpur on the same day but on the next morning he went for wildlife photography at the Kanha national park.

Voicing his support for nuclear plants, he said, "Even in developed countries nuclear plants are being built."

Raj also expressed displeasure at cable network being snapped to disrupt the telecast of his speech allegedly by Shiv Sainiks in adjoining Thane, and said he had never witnessed such type of behaviour by activists of the saffron outfit earlier.