Maha civic polls: BJP loses in Malegoan but clinches Panvel, Bhiwandi
However, the party's muslim outreach strategy did not work as none of its 27 Muslim candidates won in
Malegaon: The Bharatiya Janata Party has made serious inroads into the Malegaon Corporation, despite its strategy of nominating 27 Muslim candidates failed miserably, as none of them managed to win.
According to reports, the poll results which were announced on Friday saw the party come third with 11 seats. Placed behind Congress and ally Shiv Sena, BJP, however, had easily clinched Panvel in Raigad district and Bhiwandi, another Muslim ghetto.
The Congress bagged 28 seats out of the 84 wards that went to polls in Malegaon, while the ruling Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won only 20 seats.
"Earlier the BJP did not even have candidates here. This time there was a candidate with the Lotus symbol. Maybe next time we will win," said BJP candidate Shaheen Sayyad.
Around 55 per cent average voting was reported in municipal corporation elections in Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Panvel in Maharashtra on May 24, according to the State Election Commission.
Around 77.9 per cent average polling was recorded in four Nagar Panchayat and Nagar Parishad elections in Chandrapur, Ahmednagar, Latur and Sangli districts, the SEC said.
Altogether 1,251 candidates were in fray in the three municipal corporations.
Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) had its first election after it came into existence in October last year.