BMC polls: BJP gains big with 82 seats

A jubilant BJP today projected its impressive show in Maharashtra's local body polls, including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a precursor to its "wins" in the ongoing Assembly elections, including in Uttar Pradesh

Photo: Suryakant Niwate

Shiv Sena activists celebrated earlier in the day as it appeared it was set to take control of the BMC but it finished with just 84 of the 227 seats. The BJP came close with 81 seats

Any party or combine will need 114 corporators for a simple majority in the BMC house

Photo: Kamlesh Pednekar

Adopting a shrill anti-BJP stance, an aggressive Shiv Sena had snapped ties with the BJP ahead of the municipal elections

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis thanked the electorate, saying they have "reposed faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies of development for all"

BJP is also set to gain control of at least six civic bodies -- Pune, Nashik, Ulhasnagar, Akola, Nagpur and Amravati -- out of the 10 corporations for which the elections were held on Tuesday.

The party is also doing well in the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, as per the latest trends

BJP also appeared to have expanded its base in Pimpri Chinchwad, despite fierce competition from the NCP

The BMC, the country's largest municipal body, had an annual budget of Rs 37,000 crore in 2016-17

Congress was relegated to the third position in the civic body tally with 31 seats followed by NCP with 9 seats. MNS won 7 seats, AIMIM-3, SP-6, Akhil Bhartiya Sena-1 and others-4