In a significant victory, the BJP-led Mahayuti on Monday swept the Zilla Parishad elections in Maharashtra, winning 552 of 731 seats, the State Election Commission said. In the ruling Mahayuti, the BJP led with 225 seats, followed by 165 for the Nationalist Congress Party and 162 for the Shiv Sena.
Congress emerges on top with 55 seats
In the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Congress emerged on top with 55 seats, followed by 43 for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and 26 for Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP). The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena won a seat each in Latur and Ratnagiri. Independents won 20 seats, unrecognised parties registered with the SEC got 14 and parties registered with SEC won seven.
The NCP won the Pune ZP getting 51 of 73 seats. The NCP and NCP (SP) had contested on the 'clock' symbol, the elections taking place just days after the death of Ajit Pawar on January 28 in a plane crash.
Shiv Sena wins Raigad ZP with 23 of 59 seats
Shiv Sena won Raigad ZP getting 23 of 59 seats. The Eknath Shinde-led party also won 41 of 56 seats in Ratnagiri ZP. The BJP scored in Sindhudurg emerging victorious on 27 of 50 seats. The BJP also emerged as the single largest party in Satara, Solapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv, and Latur. Congress was the single largest party in Kolhapur.
Counting of votes for elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis began at 10 am. Panchayat samiti results have not been declared as yet by the SEC.
PM Modi thanks voters for supporting BJP-led Mahayuti
In the meantime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday thanked the people of Maharashtra for supporting the BJP-led Mahayuti in the zilla parishad elections, terming it as a vote for "good governance."
"Once again, Maharashtra blesses BJP and Mahayuti! After the resounding success of the BJP and Mahayuti in the Municipal Corporation and Municipal Council elections, the people of Maharashtra have given a strong mandate to us in the Zilla Parishad elections," PM Modi said in a post on X.
People of Maharashtra want good governance: PM Modi
PM Modi said the results make it clear that across rural and urban Maharashtra, the people of the state want good governance and an alliance which works in the spirit of the state's glorious culture. "I express gratitude to my sisters and brothers of Maharashtra," he said.
PM Modi also complimented every worker of the Mahayuti for working "tirelessly" on the ground and elaborating on the solid track record of the Maharashtra government as well as NDA's vision for good governance.
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