The counting of votes is underway for the high stakes Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in Maharashtra. The polling was held on February 7 in 12 districts across three divisions of the state, including the Raigad district, which has a total of 59 Zilla Parishad seats and 118 Panchayat Samiti seats. The Raigad district has 15 Panchayat Samitis, which are Panvel, Karjat, Khalapur, Sudhagad, Pen, Uran, Alibaug, Murud, Roha, Tala, Mangaon, Mhasla, Shriwardhan, Mahad, and Poladpur.
It must be noted here that the polling was initially scheduled to be held on February 5, with the counting of votes slated for February 7. However, the polling was deferred following the demise of Ajit Pawar. The former deputy chief minister, along with four others, died in a plane crash last month after the plane in which he was travelling crashed near the Baramati airport in the Pune district.
Who is winning in Raigad district?
Zilla Parishads:
- BJP: 6
- Shiv Sena: 13
- NCP: 10
- Congress:
- Shiv Sena (UBT): 3
- NCP(SP):
- Others: 5
Panchayat Samitis:
- BJP:
- Shiv Sena:
- NCP:
- Congress:
- Shiv Sena (UBT):
- NCP(SP):
- Others:
Litmus test for Mahayuti
The elections were considered to be a litmus test for the Mahayuti, particularly the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), as these are the first polls in the state following Ajit Pawar's tragic death. Additionally, the Mahayuti had swept the municipal council and municipal corporation elections across the state that were in December and January, respectively.
Who won in previous elections?
In the previous Zilla Parishad elections held in Raigad in 2017, the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) emerged as the single largest party, winning 21 seats. It was followed by Shiv Sena, which won 18 seats. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had won 12 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress had won three seats each. Meanwhile, independents won two seats.
In Panchayat Samitis, the undivided Shiv Sena won 41 seats and it was the single largest party. The NCP bagged 23 seats, the Congress 12, and the BJP nine. Other parties registered by the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) also won 33 seats.
