Shiv Sena UBT's Syed Iqbal elected Parbhani Mayor; BJP slams Uddhav Thackeray on his candidature

Parbhani:

Syed Iqbal of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) was on Thursday elected Mayor of the Parbhani City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in central Maharashtra with Congress support, after defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate Tirumala Khilare by a margin of 13 votes.

In the mayoral election held this morning, Syed Iqbal secured 39 votes to defeat the BJP's Khilare, who received 26 votes. The victory was made possible by a pre-poll alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Indian National Congress. 

Congress corporator Ganesh Deshmukh was elected the Deputy Mayor of Parbhani.

With this result, Parbhani has become the only municipal corporation in Maharashtra where the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has secured the Mayor's post.

Shiv Sena, BJP slam Uddhav Thackeray on his candidature

Reacting to the development, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam made a sharp political attack on the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. He said, "UBT has made Syed Iqbal the mayor in Parbhani Municipal Corporation. That is a calculated move because the Muslim vote bank is crucial for UBT. Without bulk Muslim support, even reaching double digits in Mumbai would have been difficult."

Nirupam further alleged that the party had moved away from its ideological roots. "First, they betrayed the Hindus for Muslim votes, and now they have shown disregard for Marathi society as well. Will Uddhav Thackeray still claim to be the true heir to Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals?" he asked.

The Opposition BJP criticised the Shiv Sena (UBT), headed by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, for its choice of candidate for the Mayor's post and accused it of ignoring Marathi 'manoos' (Marathi people).

State BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban said, "Uddhav Thackeray is taking forward the agenda of Aurangzeb in Parbhani. They take the name of Marathi manoos before elections, but when time comes to install a Mayor, they field a Muslim candidate."

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandip Deshpande defended the nomination of Iqbal. Deshpande said, "His work is important. I believe he will work in the interest of the city. Are Muslims not allowed to live in the country?"

Parbhani Municipal Corporation Election Results

In the municipal elections, the Sena (UBT) emerged as the largest party with 25 seats. Congress and BJP won 12 seats each, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP secured 11. The remaining seats went to smaller parties and an Independent. The Sena (UBT)-Congress combine had a tally of 37 in the House, comfortably above the halfway mark.

Elections to 29 municipal corporations in the state were held on January 15, and the results were declared the next day. According to the final statewide tally, the BJP won 1,425 out of a total 2,869 seats across 29 municipal corporations, whereas the figure was 155 for the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Also Read: BJP's Ritu Tawde elected BMC Mayor, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Ghadi deputy mayor

Also Read: Chandrapur Mayor Election: Uddhav-led Sena backs BJP, Congress cries betrayal and horse-trading