BJP claims victory at 131 out of 236 GPs in distt, Cong claim stands at 200

The Hitavada Team

As usual, with the announcement of results of elections to 236 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in Nagpur district, major political parties claimed to have emerged as ‘Number One’. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed to have secured victory at 131 out of 236 GPs while Congress claimed victory at 200. One important difference was, however, BJP circulated a long list of names of its successful candidates and Congress did not.

Amid claims and counter-claims regarding the extent of victory, stalwarts in district’s politics were largely successful in retaining respective strongholds. Senior leader of Congress party Sunil Kedar’s influence over GP results in Saoner and Kalmeshwar was visible. BJP’s influence over various strongholds also was visible in results. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) retained control over several GPs in Katol and Narkhed. BJP claimed victory of its candidates as Sarpanch at 131 out of 236 Gram Panchayats in Nagpur district. Arvind Gajbhiye, District President of BJP, stated that of total 2,036 seats of GP members, candidates of BJP-supported panels emerged victorious at 915.

Chandrashekhar Bawankule, State President of BJP, told mediapersons in Vidhan Bhavan premises that BJP had emerged ‘Number One’ in GP elections by winning 2,482 out of over 3,000 GPs in the State. “The results of GP elections prove that people in rural areas of the State have reposed faith in BJP, and State Government led by Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister, and Devendra Fadnavis as Deputy Chief Minister,” he said. Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena party led by Eknath Shinde also has tasted success in 842 GPs in the State, he added.

BJP had faced the elections in Nagpur district by appointing in-charges for various Assembly constituencies. Charansingh Thakur and Kishore Rewatkar were in-charge for GPs in Katol constituency of Legislative Assembly, Dr Rajiv Potdar and Imeshwar Yawalkar for Saoner constituency, D Mallikarjun Reddy and Avinash Khalatkar for Ramtek, Sudhir Parwe and Anandrao Raut for Umred, MLA Sameer Meghe and Anil Nidhan for Hingna, Tekchand Sawarkar and Ajay Bodhare for Kamptee constituency.

As per the press release issued by Sameer Meghe’s office, BJP had won 13 out of 21 posts of Sarpanch in Hingna and Nagpur Rural tehsils. Besides, of 189 seats of GP members in 21 GPs in these two tehsils, BJP claimed to have won 103. Meghe and Baba Ashtankar’s Raipur Parivartan Vikas Aghadi had joined hands and scored win. BJP candidates won as Sarpanch at Gumthala, Ghogali, Pardi, Khandala, Khadgaon, Sonegaon (Bori), Lavha and Bokhara GPs. BJP also claimed to have won at Umri (Wagh), Khairi (Pannase), Kawdas, and Nagalwadi.

Meanwhile, Congress party claimed to have registered victory in more than 900 GPs in the State. Nana Patole, President of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), claimed that Maha Vikas Aghadi had emerged as ‘Number One’ in Maharashtra in GP elections. He dubbed BJP’s claims as ‘false’ and said, in home-district of BJP State chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule also the party had ‘failed’. Patole claimed that Congress had won at 200 out of 236 GPs in Nagpur district.

Interestingly, while the BJP circulated the list of its successful candidates, Congress did not come up with any.

Patole also claimed that in Fetri GP, which was adopted by Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister, Congress-NCP supported candidate Ravindra Khambalkar emerged victorious in the contest for the post of Sarpanch. Besides, in the nine-member GP, Congress and NCP alliance claimed to have won five seats.

ZP chief’s husband Vishnu Kokadde wins

In Kalmeshwar tehsil, Congress led by Sunil Kedar dominated the results by winning 17 out of 23 GPs. Congress candidate Vishnu Kokadde, husband of ZP chief Mukta Kokadde, won the seat of Sarpanch in Pipla Dak Bangla GP in Saoner tehsil.

NCP claims victory in 30 out of 51 GPs in Katol constituency

Under the leadership of Salil Anil Deshmukh, Zilla Parishad (ZP) member, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) claimed to have secured win at 30 out of 51 GPs in Katol constituency of Legislative Assembly.

Salil Deshmukh stated that despite Anil Deshmukh, former Home Minister, not being on ground due to a case, the voters in Katol constituency had ensured NCP candidates’ victory in GP polls.