New Delhi: The question of who will be the king of Mumbai, India’s largest municipal corporation, will be answered today. Vote counting has been underway since 10 AM. While votes were cast to elect mayors in 19 municipal corporations, all eyes are on the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation). Initial trends show a close contest between the BJP and the Thackeray brothers in the BMC.
The BJP is leading by a narrow margin in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation seats. Meanwhile, the Congress is also leading in 7 seats according to the latest trends. The Shiv Sena has dominated the BMC for several decades, but the equations are different this time. However, the alliance with the Thackeray brothers has certainly boosted the confidence of Shiv Sena workers.
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BJP gaining ground in initial trends
According to the latest BMC trends, the BJP appears to be making significant gains. The BJP alliance is leading in 52 seats. The Shiv Sena alliance is leading in 31 seats, while the Congress is leading in 5 seats. In Ward 208, Ramakant Rahate (Shiv Sena Uddhav) received 4331 votes and Vijay Lipare (Shiv Sena) received 2733 votes.
Meanwhile, a close contest is being witnessed in Ward Number 20 of Charkop. A neck-and-neck battle is underway between Raj Thackeray’s MNS and the BJP. BJP’s Deepak (Bala) Tawde has received 3109 votes, while MNS’s Dinesh Salvi has received 3037 votes. Vote counting is still in progress.
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Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM party is also leading in two seats in the Mumbai municipal elections. AIMIM is leading in Mumbai’s Ward 145 and Chita Camp and is continuously strengthening its lead. In the Kalyan-Dombivli seat, the MNS is leading in 2 seats.
What do the exit polls say?
For information, the exit polls predicted a victory for the BJP alliance. Axis My India claimed a victory for the ruling alliance. According to exit polls, the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance is likely to win 131 to 151 seats out of 227 wards.
The exit polls suggest that the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction may have to settle for only 58 to 68 seats in the BMC elections. The Congress alliance is projected to win 12 to 16 seats.
Congress faces a test
The BMC elections will also be a test for the Congress party. If the Congress performs poorly, it could be a major blow to the morale of party workers. The exit poll claims that the Congress is trailing far behind. The credibility of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of the NDA alliance is also at stake.