BJP retains Kandivli ward; improves BMC tally to 83

The BJP has improved its tally in the Shiv Sena-ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) by one more seat after the party candidate Pratibha Girkar won a civic bypoll today.
The BJP's strength in the country's richest municipal corporation, which has 227 members, has now gone up to 83 seats against the Sena's 85.
Though six members of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had defected to the Sena in October this year, the Konkan Divisional Commissioner is yet to officially recognise the same.
Pratibha Girkar defeated Neelam Madale of Congress in the byelection held in ward no 21 in suburban Kandivli, results for which were announced today.

She is the daughter-in-law of BJP corporator from the same ward Shailaja Girkar whose death in September this year necessitated the bypoll.
She defeated Madale by a margin of 7,607 votes.

The final tally of votes polled by Pratibha Girkar and Madale stood at 9,591 votes and 1,984 votes, respectively.
Shiv Sena had backed the BJP candidate in the bypoll.
A total of 229 voters exercised NOTA (None Of The Above) option in the byelection.