Maha alliance,opposition BJP claim win in Gram Panchayat polls

About 1.25 lakh candidates onMonday emerged victorious in the Gram Panchayat elections heldin Maharashtra last week, the outcome which the ruling MahaVikas Aghadi (MVA) claimed a ''huge win'' while the oppositionBJP said it had come out stronger.

Though the village panchayat elections are not foughton party symbols, panels are fielded by political parties orlocal leaders.

Leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)claimed that the MVA comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP andCongress has scored a big win in the polls, counting for whichwas held on Monday.

On the other hand, former Maharashtra chief ministerDevendra Fadnavis said the BJP has emerged as the singlelargest party in these elections.

Polling for elections to 12,711 gram panchayats washeld in 34 of the total 36 districts on January 15.

Polling was held for 1,25,709 seats, for which2,14,880 candidates were in the fray.

Of the total 2,41,598 candidates who were in the racepost scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations, 26,718 candidatesfaced no rivals, so they would be declared elected unopposed,the state Election Commission had said.

Elections to 14,234 gram panchayats were announced onDecember 11 last year, but in some local governing bodieselections were held completely or partially unopposed.

Later, the elections got delayed mainly because of thecoronavirus pandemic.

Gram Panchayats are considered the third tier ofgovernance. Elections for them are not held on party lines orusing party symbols. Candidates are allotted election symbolsfrom a list of free symbols.

Speaking to reporters in Pune, senior NCP leader anddeputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said, ''As per inputs, theresults of Gram Panchayat elections are good and are in favourof the MVA. Party workers of the Congress, Sena and NCP haveclinched the victory. In most of these places, the Congress,NCP and Sena retained seats in their respective strongholds. Icongratulate all these members for this success''.

Pawar also said the overall (political) picture inMaharashtra seems to be changing post the results ofLegislative Council elections held last year, in which the BJPhad suffered a setback.

Another senior NCP leader and state Home Minister AnilDeshmukh said in Nashik that the MVA has achieved a ''hugesuccess'' in the Gram Panchayat elections as per trends andresults.

Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thoratclaimed that 80 per cent of the seats in Gram Panchayats thatwent to polls were won by the constituents of the MVA.

''The MVA alliance has won 80 per cent villages in thiselections while Congress alone has won 4,000 gram panchayats.

This is a strong message to the BJP and its style of working,''he said.

However, Leader of Opposition in the LegislativeAssembly, Devendra Fadnavis, said, ''As MVA parties have cometogether, we got a lot of space to expand. The BJP has emergedas the single largest party in the Gram Panchayat polls''.

''Following a natural calamity, this MVA government hasfailed to resolve woes of the people. The poll outcome is astrong message to the state government,'' the former chiefminister said.