Bypolls in Maharashtra rural local bodies: BJP ahead but loses seats to MVA partners

Results of the much-anticipated local body bypolls held in six districts on Tuesday to fill seats vacated by Other Backward Class (OBC) candidates revealed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered losses from its previous showing in the district council elections held shortly before the pandemic started, but emerged as the single largest party over the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena.

Results of the much-anticipated local body bypolls held in six districts on Tuesday to fill seats vacated by Other Backward Class (OBC) candidates revealed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered losses from its previous showing in the district council elections held shortly before the pandemic started, but emerged as the single largest party over the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena.

However, the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition improved their collective performance over the last district council (zilla parishad or ZP) and panchayat samiti elections held in six districts of Dhule, Nandurbar, Akola, Washim, Nagpur and Palghar in January 2020. (PTI- Representational picture.)

However, the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition improved their collective performance over the last district council (zilla parishad or ZP) and panchayat samiti elections held in six districts of Dhule, Nandurbar, Akola, Washim, Nagpur and Palghar in January 2020.

Together, the Congress, NCP and Sena clocked 46 district council seats out of 85, improving their tally by 10. The BJP won 22 out of the 85 district council seats -- a reduction of nine seats.

In the 144 panchayat samiti seats that also went to poll on Tuesday, the Congress won the highest number of seats at 36, while the BJP won 33 seats. The NCP and Shiv Sena won 18 and 23 seats respectively. The remaining 34 were won by smaller parties and independent candidates.

In all, 367 candidates were in the fray for the ZP polls while 555 candidates stood for the panchayat samiti seats.

Elections to these seats were held in the Open Category for the first time in 1994 after the Supreme Court quashed the 27% reservation for OBC candidates in local bodies stating that this reservation, taken together with reservation for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates exceeded the 50% cap mandated by a previous nine-judge Supreme Court order.

Political experts saw these by-polls as a bellwether to test the mood of OBC communities following the SC’s March 4 order quashing reservation. To manage what could have been a messy political fallout, the state promulgated an Ordinance in September that amended two laws (out of five) which govern local bodies to revert to an OBC quota that permitted up to 27% reservation for candidates from this category.

“Even after the quota was quashed, the ruling parties have not borne the brunt as the BJP thought they would. Though the BJP has been constantly cornering the MVA government, it does not seem to have reflected in these elections. This means if the three ruling parties remain coordinated and perform well at the local level, they may have better prospects in the forthcoming elections. The Congress has been significantly gaining ground in Vidarbha as it has won more seats in Nagpur and Washim. It could be a good sign for the party,” political analyst Hemant Desai said.

Performance measure

In these six districts, Congress is in power in Nagpur and Nandurbar ZPs, BJP in the Dhule ZP, NCP-Congress alliance in Washim ZP while Prakash Ambedkar led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) is strong in Akola ZP. In Palghar, Shiv Sena and NCP combine is in power. The power equation in these bodies remains intact.

While the BJP’s numbers in Nagpur, Dhule and Akola dropped substantially, the Congress gained two seats and retained power in Nagpur district council. The BJP retained power in the Dhule district council, but saw a reduction in the number of seats. The VBA saw a dent in its tally in Akola and Washim.

The BJP’s agreement with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) failed to produce results in Palghar after both parties won nine of the total 29 seats. The BJP won eight seats of the total 20 that it contested while the MNS won one. “It was the local leadership which decided the seat adjustments based on the local conditions. It has nothing to do with the state leadership,” said BJP leader Madhav Bhandari.

“We have lost our few sitting members in Nagpur and the results are not as expected,” said BJP leader and former minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. He said the results were not an indication of the mood within the OBC community as all the parties fielded OBC candidates.

Public Works Department minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan said that the results showed that the people rejected BJP’s double standards. “Though three ruling parties contested the polls separately, we have collectively won 46 of 85 seats. Our individual tally too has improved, whereas the numbers of BJP and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi have reduced. The voters have given fitting reply to the BJP which misguided Maratha and OBC communities,” he said.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said that the BJP emerged as the top party. “Of the total 229 seats, we have won 55 or 25% while 25% have been won by other small parties and independents. The three ruling parties could win only half of them, while Shiv Sena, the prime constituent in the MVA government has been thrown to fourth position. It is worrisome situation for the Sena which need to think twice over the alliance.”

Baban Taywade, president of National OBC Federation said that the OBC voters largely voted against the BJP in the bypolls. “Even though the Maharashtra government has issued an Ordinance and even if it stood the legal scrutiny, the quota for OBC would be upto 27% and not assured 27% as it used to be. Only the Central government can give us 27% quota by bringing a constitutional amendment. If the BJP really wants the OBC quota to be restored, it should bring the amendment,” he said.

Palghar MP Rajendra Gavit’s son and BJP candidate Rohit Gavit was defeated, while Gujarat BJP chief CR Patil’s daughter Dharati Devare won from Dhule. Former minister and BJP MLA Vijaykumar Gavit’s younger daughter Supriya won ZP election from Nandurbar.

Following these bypolls, 23 of 27 municipal corporations, 27 of 36 district councils, 300 of 362 nagar panchayats and more than 290 panchayat samitis are scheduled to go to polls in the first half of 2022. The elections are touted as a mini assembly poll and would serve as a testament to the performance of the MVA government.