BJP Dominates Nashik Civic Body Elections Amidst Controversy

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a sweeping victory in the Nashik Municipal Corporation elections, winning 72 out of 122 seats. This triumph follows protests against a controversial tree-cutting plan for the Kumbh Mela. The BJP contested independently, while its allies, the Shiv Sena and NCP, lagged behind.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious in the Nashik Municipal Corporation elections, securing a commanding 72 out of 122 seats. This victory reaffirms BJP's influence in the civic body, which it governed previously.

The election took place against a backdrop of protests concerning the corporation's contentious plan to cut hundreds of trees in the Tapovan area to make way for a Sadhugram for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Despite the controversy, the BJP's decision to contest the elections independently paid off handsomely.

In a significant gap, the Shiv Sena, headed by Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, garnered 26 seats, coming in second. Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party, another ally led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, won merely four seats. The Shiv Sena's electoral partner, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), managed to secure just one seat, overshadowed by BJP's sweeping success.

(With inputs from agencies.)