BJP or Congress, who won Maharashtra gram panchayat elections? Poll body says can’t tell

The BJP claimed it has emerged victorious in 2,974 gram panchayats and its nominees were election as sarpanch (village chiefs) in 1,565 of them

Even as both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress claimed victory in Saturday’s polls to 3,131 gram panchayats (village councils) in 16 districts of Maharashtra, the state election commission said they can’t declare party-wise results as these elections are not contested using party symbols.

According to the BJP data, the Congress won 301 gram panchayats, Shiv Sena 222 and Nationalist Congress Party 194 (File)

The BJP claimed it has emerged victorious in 2,974 gram panchayats and its nominees were election as sarpanch (village chiefs) in 1,565 of them. According to the BJP data, the Congress won 301 gram panchayats, Shiv Sena 222 and Nationalist Congress Party 194.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted congratulations to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The Congress, however, said the BJP stood third and their claims were hollow. “This is the BJP’s fake propaganda ahead of the Gujarat polls and Nanded elections. The Congress has emerged the winner,” said Congress spokesperson Raju Waghmare.

According to the Congress, they won 1,063 gram panchayats, followed by NCP (834) and BJP (813). The Sena and others together won around 421 gram panchayats, they claimed.

Responding to the claims, state election commissioner JS Saharia said, “The election commission does not declare these results party-wise as contestants don’t fight these elections on a party symbol. Political parties are free to devise their own ways of interpreting the results, but we can’t verify their claims.”