BJP, Congress top winners in Maharashtra local bodies polls

The BJP and the Congress emerged neck-and-neck, the NCP stood a close third, the Shiv Sena a distant fourth, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena was virtually erased in the results of elections to 58 local bodies which were announced here on Monday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party bagged an impressive 206 seats, with the Congress standing a close second with 199 seats in the various municipal councils and village panchayats.

The Nationalist Congress Party emerged third with 170 seats, while the BJP's ruling ally in the state and the centre, the Shiv Sena, managed a distant fourth position with 103 seats in the grassroots elections.

Raj Thackeray's MNS was reduced to an embarrassing two seats with local parties bagging 25 and independents cornering 137 seats - a lot more than the Shiv Sena's total tally.

The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party scored seven, higher than the MNS, and the CPI-M bagged three seats.

Individually, the BJP independently bagged seven councils or panchayats -- Murbad, Karjat, Jalkot, Wadvani, Lakhandur, Samudrapur and Pombhurna -- with a 50 percent or above majority.

The Congress also bagged seven civic bodies -- Sakri, Teosa, Mohadi, Karanja, Ashti (Wardha), Kuhi and Sawli -- with 50 percent or above majority.

The NCP independently secured eight civic bodies -- Hingna, Deori, Ghansawangi, Mandangad, Akole, Shirur, Patoda and Aashti (Beed).

On its own strength, the Shiv Sena won four civic bodies -- Shahapur, Parner, Peint and Mantha.

Local political parties bagged two civic bodies -- Shirur-Anantpal (Latur) and Bhatkuli (Amravati) -- while independents bagged 15 of 17 seats in Deola (Nashik), and 10 out of 17 seats in Palam (Parbhani).