Sena bags 2 seats, BJP 1 in state council polls

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena bagged two seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won one in the legislative council election results which were announced on Thursday. The results come as a setback for the ruling BJP and the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). After the council elections for 11 seats from the assembly member’s constituency on July 16, the BJP is likely to become the single largest party and its alliance with the Sena will put it in the majority.

In that scenario, the Cong-NCP combine may loose the post of speaker and deputy speaker in the legislative council.

Elections for the four seats of the legislative council of Mumbai and Konkan graduate constituencies and the Mumbai and Nashik teacher’s constituencies were held on June 25.

The Sena’s Vilas Potnis won his Mumbai graduate seat defeating BJP’s Amit Mehta. Health Minister and Sena leader Deepak Sawant was elected from this seat earlier and the party managed to retain it. Mr Kapil Patil (Lok Bharati) won the seat for the third time from the Mumbai teacher’s constituency.

In a tough fight in the Konkan graduates constituency, Mr Niranjan Davkhare of the BJP emerged victorious after a very tough fight. He had quit the NCP last month. After a defeat in a Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll, the Sena decided to fight this seat solo as well. But the party candidate Sanjay More lost the battle.

In the Nashik teacher’s constituency, Kishor Darade from the Sena defeated the BJP candidate Aniket Patil.  Mr Darade received help from NCP leader Chagan Bhujbal, said party sources.

After Thursday’s results, the BJP strength has touched 19, the Sena is at 12, the NCP 20, while the Congress has 18 seats. NCP leader Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar is the speaker while Manikrao Thackeray from the Congress is the deputy speaker. After the elections for the 11 seats, the BJP strength will increase by five as MLAs Nago Ganar, Shrikant Deshpande and Prashant Paricharak are supporting it. The Sena will touch 14-15, and after reduction of strength, the Congress and NCP will have 17 seats each. So in a house of 78, the BJP-Sena alliance is likely to have a majority strength of 39-40.