BJP sweeps Mira-Bhayandar Municipal polls, cruises past NCP and Shiv Sena

The BJP swept the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation elections in adjoining Thane district, winning 61 of the 95 seats.
For representational purposes (File | PTI)
For representational purposes (File | PTI)

MUMBAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) increased its tally by a whopping 30 seats in the 95 seat Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), while retaining the corporation and further shrinking political space for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena in urban Maharashtra.

“People have yet again voted for Vishwas (faith) and Vikas (development) which has been brought in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I thank people in having faith in the BJP,” said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis after the results on Monday evening.

In the 95-member MBMC, the BJP leads the tally with 61, followed by Shiv Sena with 22, Congress with 10 and Independents 2.  The NCP could not open its account despite having 26 seats in the outgoing House. Shiv Sena could only better its tally by eight seats despite claims that they would wrest power from the BJP.

The city had voted on Sunday, August 20, to elect their new corporators from as many as 509 candidates who were in the fray for 95 seats.

By winning MBMC, the BJP now rules 15 of 27 Municipal Corporations across Maharashtra and shares power with the Shiv Sena in two. Shiv Sena is independently handling the Mumbai and Thane Municipal Corporations. However, according to BJP sources, falling two seats short in Mumbai will topple the Shiv Sena from power in Mumbai in the next few days.

The NCP that once ruled eight municipal corporations independently is left with only two corporations now. In Mira-Bhayandar, most NCP leaders have migrated to parties like the Shiv Sena and the BJP.

The MBMC has a cosmopolitan population dominated largely by Gujaratis, Marwaris and north Indians. As far as Maharashtrians are concerned, there is a sizeable Argi and Koli population and those from the Konkan region. It also has a religious mix with a large Muslim population and a big Jain population.  A large number of Mumbai’s traders are from this hustling-bustling suburb.

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The New Indian Express
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