Fadnavis says ruling coalition has won over half the seats in Maharashtra Gram Panchayat polls

The ruling BJP claimed to have emerged on top in the results to around 1,100-odd Gram Panchayats in 18 districts of Maharashtra on Monday.

A jubilant Devendra Fadnavis, leader of the State BJP as well as the Deputy Chief Minister, said that of the results to 889 Gram Panchayats (of a total 1,165) which were out, the BJP has won in 397, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction has won 81.

“The results indicate people of State have yet again reposed faith in the ruling BJP and the Shinde faction (Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena). The BJP continues to be the ‘number 1’ party. We had emerged on top in the previous Gram Panchayat polls as well. Our current lead on nearly 500 Gram Panchayats is more than the combined score of the three MVA parties [Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party or NCP, and the Congress],” Mr. Fadnavis said.

Stating that the BJP had carefully tracked the Gram Panchayat results, he stressed that the party was not making any hollow claim when it said it had won in nearly 400 Gram Panchayats.

Mr. Fadnavis claimed that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena camp, known as the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) had won in 87 Gram Panchayats while the Congress managed to win in 104 and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP had to remain contended with just 98.

Counting was still underway with results to around 200 Gram Panchayats yet to be clear.

While Congress and NCP leaders, without offering precise figures, claimed that the Gram Panchayat elections are never fought on any party symbol and that any party could claim anything, observers noted that the ground had undeniably shifted from under the feet of the Congress in the State’s rural hinterland.

“Even if one does not believe the BJP’s claims, the results indicate that the saffron party, once predominant only in urban areas, have cemented their dominance in the rural belt as well,” an election watcher said.

However, former Chief Minister and senior Congressman Ashok Chavan contended that several factors determined the outcome of local bodies elections.

“Many parties will be making similar claims and counter-claims. It is pointless claiming victory when the Gram Panchayat polls are not fought on any party symbol,” Mr. Chavan said.

In September this year, claims and counter-claims had flown thick and fast in the results to GP polls held across 17 districts with both the ruling BJP and the Shinde faction as well as the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties claiming victory across the State’s rural hinterland. 

At the time, the BJP had claimed victory in over 259 of 580 seats while their ally, the Sena faction led by Chief Minister Shinde, had staked victory on 40 seats, taking the coalition tally to 299. 

Maharashtra Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar had pointed out that unless a sarpanch gave it in writing as to which party he supports, no political party could sweepingly claim that they had won the Gram Panchayat polls.