BackBMC election results: Here’s how Shiv Sena was jolted by a BJP comeback
The results of the municipal elections in Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra were announced today. Here's how the election results unfolded over the day
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Mumbai: Vote counting for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and nine other municipal corporations along with 25 zilla parishads (district councils) in Maharashtra started at 10am on Thursday. The direct clash between the National Democratic Alliance partners Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saw a close contest with Sena winning 84 seats, just three more than the challenger BJP’s 81 seats.
A record high turnout in Mumbai—55.53% with 36 of the 227 civic wards witnessing more than 60% polling—has made the contest interesting and too close to call. In absolute terms, 5,097,565 voters took part in the polling out of the total electoral college of 9,180,491 registered voters.
Here are the key facts and latest updates on results from Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra’s civic elections:
■ 6.45pm: Uddhav Thackeray says “Cannot call it a BJP victory. You must assess it keeping in mind the money and muscle they put into the elections."
■ 6.15pm: In Pune, BJP has won 74, the NCP has 34, Shiv Sena 8, the MNS has 5 and Congress has won 2. Counting underway in rest of the 38 seats.
In Thane, which has 131 seats, Sena has won 42 seats, NCP won 16, BJP has 14 seats while the MNS and Congress won four and one seats, respectively. (TV reports)
■ 5.40pm: “BJP victory endorsement of politics of development and transparency started by PM Modi," says Maharashtra CM Fadnavis.
■ 5.30pm: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis addresses press conference after BJP’s impressing outing in the civic polls from the party’s Mumbai office.
Earlier, on BJP victory, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said this a step towards “Congress-free India". “The results in Maharashtra have shown that we are moving towards a Congress-free India. The BJP has got support from all sections of the society. In eight corporations, we have won single-handedly… It’s a triumph for the BJP and defeat for the Congress and the NCP... The Congress has lost the plot."
■ 5.00pm: Senior BJP minister Chandrakant Patil says BJP-Sena should come together in Mumbai. After a cliffhanger contest, informal channels open between the two parties. Maharashtra BJP president Raosaheb Danve said his party may be able to rule the cash-rich body with the support of some independents
■ 4.45pm: “Congress party is not in denial. Infighting never helps and that could be halted. We do need to present a strong counter narrative to Shiv Sena in Mumbai. We can’t blame the central leadership of the party for municipal elections. We have done well in Lok Sabha and Assembly Elections. This is our worst performance ever. Corrective measures have to be taken from Delhi," says Congress leader Milind Deora. (CNN-News18)
■ 4.05pm: BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar says BJP has won 81 seats and has support from 4 municipal councillors.
■ 4.00pm: Sena and BJP neck to neck fight in Mumbai, Shiv Sena 84 and BJP 81. BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar says BJP winner of BMC polls against Sena-Congress hidden alliance.
Congress wins 31 seats, MNS wins 7 and other parties and independents win 25.
■ 3.55pm: BJP topples NCP in Pune and set to retain Nagpur. In Pune, BJP is ahead in 70 seats against NCP’s 32 seats.
■ 3.50pm: “I am very happy for Nagpur victory. I thank Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP workers. People of Maharashtra are in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said Nitin Gadkari. (CNN-News18)
■ 3.40pm: BJP minister Pankaja Munde to resign accepting BJP defeat in Parali in Beed district Zilla Parishad polls. Also, Congress Nagpur unit president Vikas Thakre loses to BJP.
■ 3.30pm: The results of 220 seats in BMC polls are out with Shiv Sena winning 83, closely followed by BJP at 79. Congress wins 30 seats, while NCP is at 8. Raj Thackeray’s MNS and SP, both manage to win 6 seats.
Congress’ worst performance in two decades.
■ 3.25pm: The results of the 72 wards of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation are out. BJP wins 54, Congress wins14, while BSP is at 4. The total number of wards are 151.
■ 3.21pm: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar congratulates Shiv Sena for good show in BMC polls. (CNN-News18)
■ 3.10pm: The results of 199 seats in BMC polls are out with Shiv Sena winning 77, followed by BJP with 69 seats. Congress has won 27 seats, NCP has won just 8, while MNS is at 4. Samajwadi Party has won 6 seats. MIM in 3 and 4 seats have been taken by Independents. One seat has gone to ABS.
■ 2.40pm: Shiv Sena is stuck at 92 now. BJP surges to 78. Congress at 22 and MNS at 10.
■ 2.35pm: “We will introspect and find out reasons for our performance in Mumbai, which was not as per expectations. We will introspect how Shiv Sena managed to surge far ahead in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. We will look for reasons for party’s performance which was “not as per expectations". We have worked hard to reach the number one position in Maharashtra and have taken the party beyond Mumbai and Thane," Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said. (CNN-News18)
■ 2.30pm: The supporters of Shiv Sena and BJP today clashed after some Sena activists burst firecrackers outside the BJP office at Dadasaheb Phalke Marg in Dadar in Central Mumbai around 1pm as trends for the BMC polls started pouring-in, police said, PTI reports.
■ 2.15pm: In BMC polls, Shiv Sena races to 92 but pauses there, BJP moves up to 76. BJP indicates it may sit in opposition. Congress at 22, while MNS ahead in 10.
■ 2.10pm: CNN-News18 reports, recounting ordered in Ward 220 after BJP candidate Atul shah and Shiv Sena leader Surender Bagalkar got same numbers of 5,496 votes.
Milind Deora: “Conclusion one can draw from BMC election results is that Mumbaikars seem content living with potholes, flooding, malaria & water tankers," said the Congress leader.
■ 2.00pm: In late burst BJP reduces Sena margin, leads now on 73 seats against Sena’s 92 in Mumbai.
■ 1.55pm: “We have our resignations in our pockets. The moment our leader tells us we will exit this government. One can only be together if there is dignity in the alliance," said Senior Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra transport minister Diwakar Raote. (CNN-News18)
■ 1.45pm: BJP, Sena trounce Cong-NCP in zilla parishad polls too. Results a big setback for Congress, NCP @livemint
■ 1.25pm: Shiv Sena leads in 93 seats, BJP 61, Cong 22, MNS 10, NCP 7. City-wise, Sena leads Mumbai, Thane; BJP leads Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Solapur, Amravati, Akola; NCP Pimpri, according to the latest trends. BJP-Sena clear winner everywhere, Cong biggest loser, NCP holding on to Pimpri-Chinchwad.
■ 1.10pm: Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam resigns accepting moral responsibility for the party’s loss, blames colleagues and demands action against Mumbai Congress leaders for “anti party activities".
Trends suggest Marathi voters supported Shiv Sena while Gujaratis stuck with BJP with some strong exceptions.
■ 12.50pm: Shiv Sena leading on 90 seats, just 24 short of simple majority. BJP a distant second at 54, suggest latest trends. Follow us @livemint @abhiramgpatil
■ 12.30pm: Shiv Sena leads in 87 seats in BMC polls. BJP ahead in 53, Congress–20, MNS–10, TV reports.
■ 12.20pm: Ex-Shiv Sena Mayor Shraddha Jadhav wins consecutively for the 6th times from ward no. 202.
BJP’s Shaina NC, “This is a 50 increase in our number so far. We have done very well and we have grown in many wards where did not have our presence." (CNN-News18)
■ 12.00pm: Trends on 149 of 227, Shiv Sena leads on 76, BJP 45, Cong 13, MNS 7, NCP 6. SS winning Mumbai, Thane, BJP gains elsewhere @livemint @abhiramgpatil
■ 11.50am: Shiv Sena may cross the100-seat mark leaving its main rival BJP stuck at less than 70 seats, suggest early trends. Congress, NCP likely to be big losers everywhere according to early trends.
Trends available for 118 seats of the total 227 seats in Mumbai after 5 rounds of counting showed SS leading on 60 seats and BJP leading on 36. Exit polls had suggested a much closer contest than this.
Congress party was leading on 11 seats and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on 5 seats. The Nationalist Congress Party was leading on 4 seats.
The SS was also leading in its stronghold of Thane city leading on 15 seats, while the BJP was leading on 8 as per the trends of the total 131 seats.
In all other 8 cities though, the BJP has established substantial lead in early trends over all others.
In Pune, the BJP was leading on 35 seats of the total 162 seats and NCP was leading on 13. The Pune Municipal Corporation is currently ruled by NCP.
In Nagpur, the BJP took lead on 19 seats of the total 151 in the early trends available for 27 seats.
In Nashik which is currently ruled by MNS, the BJP took a strong lead on 18 seats followed by SS on 8 seats.
It suggests Shiv Sena still big brother in Mumbai-Thane but BJP bigger player in all other 8 cities.
Also read | Mumbai civic polls outcome set to change Maharashtra politics
■ 11.40am: BMC - Sena leading in 65 seats, BJP ahead in 37 seats, TV reports. Counting of votes for 151 wards in Nagpur underway. BJP leading on 16 wards and Congress on 4 wards.
■ 11.35am: Thane – Shiv Sena marches towards big win, takes lead on 10 seats of total 131 seats.
Early trends in Mumbai indicate margin of difference between Sena and BJP could be wider than predicted. Follow tweets @livemint
■ 11.30am: The Shiv Sena is leading on 39 and BJP on 25 in the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, as per the latest trends. Besides, the Congress is leading on 9, NCP on 2 and MNS on 3 seats, a State Election Commission official said. (PTI)
■ 11.10am: In BMC polls, Shiv Sena leading in 40 seats while BJP leads in 27 seats. (NDTV) Trends of nearly one third seats show Shiv Sena is ahead in nearly half total seats in BMC. (CNN-News18)
In Pune, BJP is ahead in 20 seats, while Shiv Sena and NCP lead in 10 seats each. Congress leads just in one seat.
In Nashik, BJP leads in 10 seats while Shiv Sena is ahead in 7 seats. Both Congress and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leading in one seat each.
■ 10.50am: Congress wins Ahmednagar seat. In BMC, Shiv Sena is leading on 10 wards, BJP on 9 wards, Congress on 3 wards. (CNN-News18)
■ 10.40am: BMC counting underway; Shiv Sena is leading on 10 wards, BJP on 9 wards, Congress on 3 wards.
Out of 6 wards, BJP’s Ravi Landge has been elected unopposed in Pimpri-Chinchwad, CNN-News 18 reported.
■ 10.30am: Initial trends suggest Shiv Sena leading in Pune’s 3 seats, while BJP leads on 2 seats in Nagpur. BJP and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) lead in one seat each in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Shiv Sena is leading in 8 seats in Ulhasnagar. Shiv Sena takes early lead on ward no 200 and 202, while BJP leads on ward no. 218, say TV reports.
■ 10.00am: Vote counting starts, early trends by 11am, say TV reports.
■ 9.55am: An India Today-Axis exit poll has predicted 86-92 seats for the Shiv Sena in the 227-member BMC and 82-88 seats for the BJP.
■ 9.30am: In addition to BMC, counting will be underway for Thane, Ulhasnagar, Nashik, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Solapur, Akola, Amravati and Nagpur municipal corporations.
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