BJP wins Mumbai’s Bhandup bypoll, but Shiv Sena maintains lead in BMC

The BJP’s victory has upped its strength in the Mumbai civic body by one seat

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the bypoll in Bhandup (West) ward 116 on Thursday, with 11,229 votes. BJP candidate Jagruti Patil, daughter-in-law of the late Congress corporator Pamila Patil, defeated the Shiv Sena candidate by 4,892 votes. Despite this, the Shiv Sena continues to maintain its lead in the civic body with 84 sitting corporators, two more than its former ally. It also continues to have support of four other independent corporators.

Winning BJP candidate Jagruti Patil (in orange) in Bhandup on Thursday. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

The BJP’s victory has upped its strength in the civic body by one seat, bringing the number of sitting BJP corporators in the BMC to 82, after one of them, Shailaja Girkar, died last month.

Electoral ward 116 is part of the S ward in Bhandup (West). A bypoll was held in this ward on Wednesday, owing to a vacancy caused by the death of sitting Congress Party corporator Pramila Patil. Her daughter-in-law, Jagruti, joined the BJP, and contested elections.

MLA Ashok Patil’s wife Minakshi Patil also contested on a ticket from the Shiv Sena. She bagged 6,337 votes.

A war of words ensued between the BJP and Shiv Sena following the poll.