NCP Leaders Frame Election Results as Emotional Tribute to Late Ajit Pawar
In Pune, members of the Pawar family and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) politicians on Monday characterized the recent zilla parishad and panchayat samiti election outcomes as a heartfelt tribute to the late Ajit Pawar. This marked the first electoral contest for the NCP following the sudden and tragic demise of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28.
BJP Leads Overall Tally as NCP Secures Strong Performance
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led the overall tally with 225 zilla parishad seats, the NCP demonstrated resilience by winning 165 seats across the 12 districts that participated in the polls held on February 7. Rohit Pawar, an NCP (SP) MLA and nephew of Ajit Pawar, issued a statement emphasizing that the people paid their respects to Ajitdada by ensuring the party's victory in the zilla parishad polls within Pune and Sangli districts, as well as in 33 panchayat samitis spread across the state.
"Had he been with us, the success would have been even greater," Rohit Pawar stated, reflecting on the emotional significance of the results.
Attributing Success to Ajit Pawar's Strategic Planning
Agriculture Minister and NCP member from Indapur, Dattatray Bharne, highlighted that the party's commendable performance was directly linked to Ajit Pawar's meticulous efforts in personally finalizing candidates and selecting strong contenders for the elections. "He should have been with us to witness this success," Bharne remarked, underscoring the personal loss felt by the party.
BJP Claims Public Endorsement and Expanded Rural Presence
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis pointed out that the BJP experienced a significant increase in its seat tally compared to the 2017 elections, interpreting the results as a public endorsement of the development initiatives undertaken by the Mahayuti government. He asserted that the outcomes firmly established the BJP as the leading party in both urban and rural areas, effectively dispelling earlier perceptions that its influence was limited to urban or semi-urban regions.
"It has become clear that Mahayuti will come to power in all 12 zilla parishads and 105 of the 125 panchayat samitis in the state," Fadnavis informed reporters. He detailed that the BJP emerged as the single largest party in seven zilla parishads, while the NCP secured a majority in one and Shiv Sena in two. In the remaining two zilla parishads, including Latur and Kolhapur, where the alliance contested together, they collectively won the majority of seats.
Congress Expresses Optimism Amidst Results
Congress state president Harshwardhan Sapkal expressed optimism regarding the party's prospects, stating, "We are set to come to power in two zilla parishads and will share power in two others," indicating a strategic position in the post-election landscape.
Prime Minister Modi Lauds Ruling Alliance's Victory
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday praised the ruling alliance's success in the Maharashtra zilla parishad polls, following its earlier achievements in municipal corporation and municipal council elections. The Prime Minister emphasized that the outcome clearly demonstrated that people across both rural and urban Maharashtra desire good governance and an alliance that operates in harmony with the state's rich cultural heritage.
"Once again, Maharashtra blesses BJP and Mahayuti! My compliments to 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," the Prime Minister stated, extending his gratitude to the voters for their support.
