BMC polls: BJP on top, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis becomes stronger

Fadnavis becomes stronger with Thursday’s verdict and can run his government without much headache till 2019, when the state Assembly elections are scheduled.

The BJP has put up a spectacular show in Mumbai and Maharashtra.

Fadnavis becomes stronger with Thursday’s verdict and can run his government without much headache till 2019, when the state Assembly elections are scheduled. (HT File)

It increased it tally remarkably to 81 and won seats almost equal to the Shiv Sena, which bagged 84. Its victory is remarkable considering the fact it had won 31 seats in last Mumbai civic polls in 2012.

Whether it gets to make its mayor in Mumbai or not is a different issue, but the party has managed to establish as a competitor to the Shiv Sena and decimated the Congress in Mumbai. The party first won 15 of the 36 Assembly seats in 2014 elections, and now has won 81 of the 227 seats in the civic body.

Across Maharashtra, the BJP is leading in eight out of other nine civic bodies that went to the polls on February 21. It is leading in Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Ulhasnagar, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Solapur, Amravati and Akola civic bodies and likely to win power their on its own or with the help of other parties like Sena.

In a nutshell, it has managed to get a strong mandate in urban Maharashtra.

Major credit of this victory goes to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was the party’s face in the poll campaign. He campaigned across the state and put in a lot of effort.

Fadnavis becomes stronger with Thursday’s verdict and can run his government without much headache till 2019, when the state Assembly elections are scheduled.

After Thursday’s victory, he will have complete control over his government. The Shiv Sena which has managed to retain its core Marathi vote bank in Mumbai-Thane will probably gauge the mood in Mumbai and the state and create less trouble for him.

BMC election results: After bitter campaign, Shiv Sena, BJP end up neck-and-neck in Mumbai