The election for the Satara Zilla Parishad president’s post was held on Friday. BJP’s Priya Shinde was elected president, surpassing the Shiv Sena-NCP combine’s candidate, despite the latter having the majority. The BJP narrowly outpaced the Sena-NCP alliance to claim the top post
Shiv Sena leader Shamhuraj Desai. File Pic
Despite lacking a majority, the BJP secured the Satara Zilla Parishad (ZP) president post in Maharashtra, prompting the Shiv Sena to accuse the party of "murdering democracy" and warn of serious repercussions in the upcoming larger elections, reported PTI.
The election for the Satara Zilla Parishad president’s post was held on Friday. BJP’s Priya Shinde was elected president, surpassing the Shiv Sena-NCP combine’s candidate, despite the latter having the majority. The BJP narrowly outpaced the Sena-NCP alliance to claim the top post.
Speaking to PTI on Friday, Sena minister Shamhuraj Desai, who is also the guardian minister of Satara, said, “They (the BJP) took two members each from the Shiv Sena and the NCP. We will initiate disqualification proceedings against them.”
“The BJP may be happy about this victory for the moment, but bigger polls are ahead. At that time, the Shiv Sena and NCP will take their respective stands,” he warned.
“This election is condemnable and an act of murdering democracy. The consequences of this will be severe in the Satara district. Even as a minister in the Mahayuti government, I have my party and the right to work for it,” Desai added, the news agency reported.
He further stated that while the BJP may celebrate, the moral victory belongs to the Shiv Sena-NCP alliance.
The BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the NCP, headed by Sunetra Pawar, share power in Maharashtra as part of the Mahayuti government.
Desai also alleged that he was manhandled by the police during the election process on Friday and vowed to raise the issue in the cabinet meeting next week. “If ministers are being manhandled by the Satara police, we strongly condemn this. The police also acted as domestic help for the BJP,” he said.
Mahayuti sweeps Maharashtra ZP polls, wins 552 of 731 seats; BJP leads with 225
Earlier last month, the BJP-led Mahayuti dominated the Maharashtra Zilla Parishad polls, securing 552 out of 731 seats.
In the ruling alliance, the BJP led with 225 seats, followed by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with 165 and the Shiv Sena with 162.
In the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Congress emerged on top with 55 seats, followed by 43 for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and 26 for Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP). The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena won one seat each in Latur and Ratnagiri.
Independents won 20 seats, unrecognised parties registered with the SEC got 14, and other parties registered with the SEC won seven seats.
(With PTI inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
