Maharashtra Municipal Elections 2012 : Congress’ Rout ; Saffron Juggernaut

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           FEBRUARY 24 , 2012           02.40 A.M.

Municipal and Local Body elections 2012 in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra just got over and now process of installing the mayors and other office bearers are underway .  These elections gave some very startling and surprising results this time .

It was initially thought by left – liberal intellectuals / journalists and slowly it became general perception that this time the saffron front is facing rout . It was widely believed that in the ensuing municipal corporation elections in Mumbai the ruling front ; the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party , is playing on sticky wicket . BMC [ Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ] is the richest corporation of India . Its annual budget is bigger than the budget of some of the state assemblies of India . So these elections are considered prestigious and this time it was keenly watched .

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation

In Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation , the ruling Front of Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janta Party was in power for unbelievable 3 consecutive terms . Therefore the Congress and NCP [ Nationalist Congress Party ] came to conclusion that incumbency factor will harm the ruling front and invariably brighten the prospect of opposition front . It was also felt that MNS [ Maharashtra Navanirman Sena ] will eat into Saffron Front votes and thus going to deprive them of victory . But unseen hands of destiny had few shocker for the Congress and NCP this time also .

BJP Symbol

Symbol of Shiv Sena

Shiv Sena patriarch Shri Bala Saheb Thackeray and acting president Shri Uddhav Thackeray , along with Mumbai BJP President Shri Raj Purohit and some other state level BJP leaders , devised some new strategies to thwart the freshly hatched game plan of the Congress and NCP of Sharad Pawar . Their ” KARUN DAKHWALE ” campaign was brilliant . They roped in RPI [ Republican Party of India ] headed by Shri Ram Das Athwale , in the front . So the joint strength of Shiv Sena , Bharatiya Janta Party and Republican Party of India [ SS , BJP , RPI ] fought elections unitedly and comfortably trounced the Congress and NCP front .

Shri Nitin Gadkari President BJP

Shri Uddhav Thackeray Working President Shiv Sena

When results were declared , it became apparent that SS , BJP , RPI have got the maximum number of seats in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation . Though they fell short of 7 seats , still they won the BMC fort . Congress , NCP alliance came a distant second with 65 seats and MNS [ Maharashtra Navanirman Sena ] , perceived to be king – maker , was third with 28 seats in its kitty .

Out of 10 Municipal Corporations of Maharashtra , BJP and SS have won 5 . These are ; Mumbai , Thane , Ulhasnagar , Nagpur and Akola . NCP of Sharad Pawar is the clear winner in Pimpri – Chinchwad . NCP can capture Pune , Solapur and Amarawati also with the help of Congress . MNS has won maximum number of seats in Nashik . But here are some more shocker .

BJP has won more number of seats compared to Shiv Sena  in Pune , Solapur , Nagpur and Akola , BJP has outnumbered Congress also in Nagpur and Ulhasnagar and has equal number of seats in Akola . BJP has outnumbered NCP also in Nagpur , Mumbai , Solapur and Akola . In BMC BJP has won 31 seats compared to 28 in 2007 . BJP tally has improved everywhere .

Sharad Pawar , known as Maratha warrior , Maratha strongman in Marathi news papers , have bitten dust . Other so – called NCP stalwarts and strong men like Dy. Chief Minister Ajit Pawar , R. R. Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal , both former Dy. Chief Ministers , have eggs on their faces . Supriya Sule has simply vanished from the scene .

Sharad Pawar - President NCP

It’s sheer luck that because of assembly elections in 5 states , Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi can not visit Maharashtra . So they have some face – saving excuses . But Congress Chief Minister Prithvi Raj Chavan , ex Shiv Sainik and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane and Mumbai Congress Chief Kripa Shankar Singh have nothing to say . So they have gone into shell . They are incommunicado and blame game has started .

Rahul Gandhi

In 2007 BMC elections Congress and NCP had no alliance and they fought separately . So according to some left – liberal journalists , SS and BJP won because of the division of secular votes . But in 2012 , Congress and NCP fought the elections as alliance partners and still they lost . SS and BJP have won convincingly . Now left – liberal journos have to eat crow . They have nothing to say .

BJP and Shiv Sena flags in a Rally

Shri Nitin Gadkari and Shri Bala Saheb Thackeray can take pride that they have snatched victory from the opponents and that too against all odds . It is satisfying fact that MNS [ Maharashtra Navanirman Sena ] instead of eating into saffron votes , ate Congress , NCP votes and dealt severe blow to their nefarious designs .

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections along with 9 other civic body elections of 2012 are eye opener in real sense . It heralds saffron juggernaut and decimation of pseudo – secular forces.

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

www.vidur.co.in

www.vidurfilms.com

www.twitter.com/VidurChaturvedi

www.jaibhojpuri.com/profile/VidurChaturvedi

Related articles

• BMC goes to Shiv Sena-BJP, NCP leads in Pune (ibnlive.in.com)
• Polling begins for richest civic body BMC (ibnlive.in.com)
• Mumbai polls: Sena leads, MNS holds the key (ibnlive.in.com)
• Mumbai Civic Polls: Counting Begins, Sena-BJP Take Leads (ibtimes.com)
• Counting for Maharashtra civic polls begins (thehindu.com)
• Maharashtra rout bad news for Congress in UP? (currentindiaaffairs.wordpress.com)
• Maximum city, minimum will (thehindu.com)
• Jubilation for Sena, introspection for Congress (thehindu.com)
• Sena will become irrelevant after Mumbai polls: Prithviraj Chavan (thehindu.com)
• Dalit votes helped Sena, BJP in civic polls: Ram Naik (thehindu.com)
• Thackeray challenges Pawar (thehindu.com)
• Anna’s village sarpanch an NCP poll candidate (ibnlive.in.com)
• MNS’ Raj Thackeray attempts a radical innovation – OpEd in Mid-Day Mumbai (offstumped.in)