As counting continued for the Maharashtra local body elections on Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the results should be seen as a clear indication of what lies ahead in the municipal corporation
elections scheduled for January 15.
Initial trends showed the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, the Ajit Pawar led NCP faction and the Shiv Sena led by Shinde, holding a comfortable lead across several local bodies. Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Shinde said voters had chosen development over political conflict.
Mahayuti crosses 200 mark
Shinde claimed the Mahayuti crossed the 200 mark across 286 local bodies in the state. According to him, the BJP had registered a “century” in terms of wins, while the Shiv Sena secured a “half century” and emerged as the second largest party in Maharashtra.
“The results reflect the public’s preference for development over politics. The grand victory of the Mahayuti shows that the alliance will repeat this performance in the forthcoming municipal corporation elections,” Shinde said.
Shiv Sena influence beyond Mumbai and Thane
Highlighting the party’s traditional strength, Shinde said the Konkan region continues to be the bastion of the Shiv Sena. However, he added that the party’s reach now extends far beyond Mumbai and Thane.
“The Shiv Sena is not limited to a few cities. It has reached every household in the state. Even in areas where we faced losses, the collective victory of the Mahayuti remained our priority,” he said.
Swipe at Uddhav Thackeray
In an apparent dig at the Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena faction, Shinde said voters had ensured that “those who sat at home were made to sit at home”.
“People have decided which is the real Shiv Sena. Our ideology belongs to Balasaheb Thackeray. He would have been happy to see this victory. The people reject those who reject them,” Shinde said.
No impact of possible MNS tie up
Responding to questions on the possibility of Uddhav Thackeray joining hands with Raj Thackeray and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Shinde said it would not affect the outcome.
“People vote for those who work. Alliances formed for politics alone do not influence voters,” he said.
Shinde also thanked women beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin scheme and party workers, crediting them for the Mahayuti’s strong performance across Maharashtra.
