The people of Loha have spoken, and the verdict is not one that the BJP is going to like.
The Loha Nagar Parishad election in Nanded district had made news after the Maharashtra local body elections were announced, specifically after the BJP decided to field six members of one family as candidates across various wards. The BJP had fielded Gajanan Suryavanshi as its candidate for the post of president of the Loha Nagar Parishad. Also in the fray were Gajanan Suryavanshi's wife Godavari Suryavanshi, brother Sachin Suryavanshi, sister-in-law Supriya Sachin Suryavanshi, brother-in-law Yuvraj Waghmare, and niece-in-law Reena Amol Vyavahare.
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The decision was weaponised by the Congress, accusing the saffron party of nepotism. After a high-octane campaign that witnessed a three-way battle between the BJP, the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), and the Congress, there was widespread curiosity about how the election results would turn out. The BJP often accuses the Congress of 'dynasty politics' favouring the Gandhi family; thus, when the BJP made six people from one family its candidates in Loha, questions were raised.
Maharashtra local body election results
And when the election results were declared on Sunday, all six members of the family bit the dust. The public delivered a major shock to the BJP as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) managed to win the Municipal President's post, Sakal said in a report. Loha is considered the stronghold of MLA Pratap Patil Chikhalikar, who belongs to the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), the Marathi news portal added.
Meanwhile, the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) claimed they had retained their party bastions in the Chandrapur and Sangli districts. Initial trends have shown an edge for the Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The Congress has won the municipal council president's post as well as 21 of the 23 seats in the Brahmapuri municipal council in Chandrapur district, senior party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said. The BJP and NCP have got one seat each. In the Urun-Islampur municipal council in Sangli district, the NCP (SP) has won 23 seats as well as the post of council president, senior leader Jayant Patil claimed.
