BMC election: BJP survey predicts big poll win if party goes solo

Mumbai: If the BJP goes solo, it is likely to win 130 seats in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, as per an internal survey carried out by the party for all 227 seats of the civic body. At present, the BJP has 32 candidates in the BMC, having contested the last 2012 polls in alliance with the Shiv Sena. In 2014, however, the party emerged stronger than the Sena. The survey has been ridiculed by other parties, however.

A senior leader from Mumbai BJP confirmed that the party had conducted a survey in all 227 wards of the city. “The survey indicated that the party can win 130 seats if we go solo for the BMC polls,” he told The Asian Age on condition of anonymity.

The findings of the survey have been conveyed to the BJP top brass, which will take a decision on an alliance with the Sena. Both the Sena and BJP have not yet started formal or informal talks on the alliance, but the parties have started preparing to go solo in the polls. They have also instructed workers to start work in all the wards.

Asked about the survey, Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar refused to comment. But Congress Mumbai president Sanjay Nirupam said that the BJP was known for conducting false surveys. “The BJP keeps doing fake surveys. The people should not trust them,” he said.

The NCP said that if the BJP was so confident, it should break its alliance with the Sena and declare the same immediately. NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, “It has been the BJP’s strategy to confuse people to get votes. But if the party is so confident, they should break the alliance with the Sena. What are they waiting for? The party is just playing a gimmick to dump the Sena.”

The Sena meanwhile ridiculed the survey saying that the BJP could even get 420 seats elected in a 227-seat civic body. “There are 227 seats in the BMC but the BJP can get 420,” said Sena spokesperson Arvind Bhosale.