Mumbai, Jan 17 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the BJP’s 45 per cent vote share in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections reflected a decisive mandate, and its tally was higher than that of Shiv Sena (UBT) despite contesting fewer seats.
Fadnavis spoke at a gathering of BJP workers here a day after the alliance of the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 118 of 227 seats in the civic elections. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party was the second largest with 65 seats.
“Many people are saying that in 2017 (when the previous elections were held) we (BJP) had won 82 seats and now we have won 89, so is that really an achievement….in 2017 we contested 227 seats and won 82, whereas this time we contested only 135 seats and won 89,” he said.
The BJP’s vote share was 45 per cent while that of the Shiv Sena (UBT), which contested 30 more seats, was 27 per cent, Fadnavis said, adding, “This clearly shows the strength of our mandate and the strong support we have received.” Calling it a “very happy moment”, the BJP leader said it had been the saffron party’s dream to become the single largest in Mumbai ever since it established its own organisation in the city.
The BJP emerged as the largest party in Mumbai in assembly elections in 2014, 2019 and 2024, and had missed the top position in the 2017 BMC polls by just two seats, the chief minister noted.
“We have realised our strength, and the people of Mumbai have supported our development agenda…in several constituencies, we lost by very thin margins. We could have crossed the 100-seat mark otherwise,” he said.
The BJP-Shiv Sena combine secured a clear majority though the Eknath Shinde-led party lost a few seats by slender margins, Fadnavis said, adding that the number one party had never won 89 seats in the previous three BMC elections.
“We have won in slums, high-rise buildings, Koliwadas (fisherfolk colonies) and chawls (tenements). People from different linguistic backgrounds have supported us. This is a victory of Team Mumbai,” he said.
His government wants to make Mumbai a world-class, clean and livable city, ensure transparent and people-centric civic administration, complete ongoing projects within the next two to three years and launch new initiatives after the mayor is announced, Fadnavis said. PTI ND KRK
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