Sena, BJP call truce to rule civic body

As per the State Election Commission – BJP has won 254, Congress 239, NCP 201, Shiv Sena 126 seats out of the 1024 seats for 71 Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats which went to polls on November 1.

Today’s assembly got here after a spherical of talks held between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sena chief and state PWD Minister Eknath Shinde on the former’s official residence “Varsha” right here.

Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party in the KDMC bagging 52 seats while BJP improved its previous tally of 9 by clinching 42 seats. The BJP leader said, “We are not going to relinquish our claim to the KDMC mayor’s post”.

A leader involved in the negotiations said, “Ideally, the Sena-BJP alliance works best for both the parties as it brings continuity and stability both in government and the local body”. Among other parties, BSP and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won one seat each.

The BJP has already claimed that it enjoys the support of six of the nine independents, who won the elections.

On the BJP’s offer of sharing power, he said the party was at the same time engaging in horse-trading.

The election to the publish of Mayor will probably be held on November eleven, whereas the final date of submitting nomination papers is November 7.

The big question for the Sena, however, is whether it can seek the mayor’s post and forgo the deputy mayor and standing committee chairperson’s posts; or whether to agree to the BJP’s demand for the mayor’s post and take the more lucrative standing committee and deputy mayor’s posts.

The formula worked out is similar to the one the two parties share in Aurangabad Municipal Corporation.

Meanwhile, in a press release issued by BJP this night, the party stated additional talks between the 2 events shall be held by Minister for Finance and Planning Sudhir Mungantiwar (BJP) and PWD Minister Eknath Shinde (Sena).