Maharashtra bypoll results show people have kept BJP on ground: Shiv Sena mouthpiece

The Sena mouthpiece also said that BJP emerged the single-largest party in the 2019 Assembly polls but had to play the role of the opposition

Two day after the results of the zilla parishad (ZP) and panchayat samiti bypolls were announced, the Shiv Sena on Friday said that despite contesting separately at some places, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had managed to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at bay. An editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said that the elections in five districts have clearly ascended MVA.

Though BJP emerged as the single-largest party in ZP bypolls with 22 seats, followed by Congress (19), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (15) and Shiv Sena (12), collectively the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi allies have 46 ZPs under control. (HT FILE)

The ZP and panchayat samiti bypolls in six districts results showed BJP had more seats among the four major parties, but lost seats to MVA. Though BJP emerged as the single-largest party in ZP bypolls with 22 seats, followed by Congress (19), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (15) and Shiv Sena (12), collectively MVA allies have 46 ZPs under control.

“MVA has definitely wrested control of more seats in ZP-panchayat samiti bypolls. But BJP could not win even after the constituents of MVA went solo in some places. This means people have kept BJP on the ground. Accepting that MVA has won this contest requires a big heart. Does the opposition party in the state have it?” the editorial stated on Friday.

Mocking BJP leaders over their claim that their party has emerged at the top in the bypolls, the editorial asked which mathematician told them that their numbers were higher than the ruling coalitions.

“There is no reason to be unhappy about BJP winning 22 (ZP) seats but what about the fact that the party has lost many seats in the bypolls,” the editorial said.

It further added, “In the panchayat samiti elections, MVA got 73 of the 144 seats, while BJP got 33 seats. Now the ones who are claiming ascendence should tell us which mathematician or Aryabhatta said 33 is more than 73. In ZP, MVA got 46 seats, while BJP got 22. Anybody who knows to count will say MVA got more than double of 22.”

The Sena mouthpiece also said that BJP emerged the single-largest party in the 2019 Assembly polls but had to play the role of the opposition.

“BJP’s 105 MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly) were elected but BJP is now functioning as a strong opposition party. So anyone is free to do an analysis of ZP and panchayat samiti bypolls but the people will not accept the opposition party’s argument,” it remarked.

As a policy, the Maharashtra unit of BJP does not comment on Saamana editorials.