BJP Claims Victory in Solapur and Ichalkaranji Municipal Corporations
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has achieved significant victories in two key municipal corporations in Maharashtra. In Solapur, the party secured a commanding win by capturing 79 out of 102 seats. This decisive majority allows the BJP to elect the mayor without relying on support from any other political group.
Similarly, in Ichalkaranji, the BJP performed strongly in its first election for the municipal corporation. The party won 43 seats in the 65-seat body, establishing a clear lead. The main opposition, Shiv Shahu Aghadi, managed to secure only 17 seats.
Sangli Presents a Close Contest for BJP
However, the BJP faced a tighter race in the Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad municipal corporation. Here, the party fell just one seat short of achieving a comfortable majority. Despite this narrow miss, the BJP is not expected to struggle in forming the administration.
Political observers note that the party will likely secure the necessary support from the Shiv Sena, which won only two seats in Sangli. This arrangement would not require backing from the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Kolhapur Municipal Corporation Sees Mahayuti Alliance Triumph
In Kolhapur, the BJP contested the elections as part of the Mahayuti alliance. This coalition comfortably crossed the majority mark by winning 45 out of the 81 seats in the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC).
Within the Mahayuti alliance, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 26 seats. Shiv Sena followed closely with an equal number of seats, while the NCP secured four. This distribution has ignited intense negotiations among the three partners over the sharing of key positions, particularly the mayor's post.
Both the BJP and Shiv Sena are actively eyeing the mayor's position, setting the stage for a potential tug-of-war within the alliance.
Congress Emerges as Single Largest Party in Kolhapur
The Congress party, which contested 74 seats in Kolhapur while leaving six for Shiv Sena (UBT) and one for an independent candidate, managed to win 34 seats on its own. This performance made Congress the single largest party in the KMC.
Shiv Sena (UBT) won just one seat, and the independent candidate faced defeat. Congress MLC Satej Patil, who played a pivotal role in boosting his party's tally from 27 seats in 2015 to 34 this time, made a firm statement.
"Congress will sit in the opposition and play an effective role," Patil declared. "We will ensure taxpayers' money is utilised properly and will hold Mahayuti responsible to fulfil the promises made by them. They cannot bulldoze anything; they have to take us in confidence."
NCP's Role in Sangli Elections
In Sangli, the NCP contested 33 seats and won 16 of them. Party leaders had initially hoped that this performance would position them as a "king maker" in the corporation. However, both the BJP and Shiv Sena safely crossed the halfway mark independently, eliminating the need for external support.
Congress and NCP (SP) had formed an alliance in Sangli. Congress won 18 seats under the leadership of independent MP Vishal Patil and MLA Vishwajeet Kadam, while NCP (SP) secured three seats.
The municipal election results across these corporations highlight the BJP's strengthening position in Maharashtra's urban local bodies, while also revealing the complex dynamics of alliance politics in the state.
