After RS elections, BJP and MVA set to clash in Maharashtra municipal polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party has set its eyes on June 20 state council polls for 10 vacant seats. Meanwhile, the MVA is confident of winning six seats.

After a high voltage drama during Rajya Sabha polls in Maharashtra, BJP-backed independent candidate Sadabhau Khot has withdrawn his nomination from the Maharashtra council polls scheduled on June 20. BJP will now contest with five candidates. With this, a total of 11 candidates are now in the fray for 10 seats.

In a turn of events earlier today, a meeting was held between Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar and party leaders Ajit Pawar, Dilip Walse Patil, Jayant Patil and Sunil Tatkare at Pawar's private residence Silver Oak in Mumbai. As per sources, analysis of the setback in the Rajya Sabha polls and strategy for upcoming MLC polls were discussed at length. However, all leaders refused to comment post meeting.

Also, a series of meetings of BJP candidates with Devendra Fadnavis, leader of the Opposition, at his official residence, while Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies met at Shayadri guest house to work out a proposal for unopposed MLC polls. However, the efforts turned futile as Mumbai Regional Congress Committee chief Bhai Jagtap, Mumbai Congress Chief and the second candidate of Congress did not succumb to the pressure by allies for withdrawing nominations, told the sources.

Fadnavis clarified in a press conference that they would have tried to make this election unopposed if MVA had agreed to give five seats to the BJP. "But they did not withdraw any candidate and we are confident of winning the fifth seat due to the unrest in MLA's of MVA," Fadnavis said.

However, Cabinet Minister and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said that they have surplus votes and there is no point in withdrawing Congress candidates. "There is no issue between MVA and allies and they can manage the votes to make all six candidates win," he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP is in high spirits after the miraculous victory of the third candidate, Dhananjay Mahadik, by defeating Shiv Sena's Sanjay Pawar, in recent Rajya Sabha polls. This has boosted the confidence of the party's state leadership to challenge the MVA government again in the battleground of MLC polls.

Hence, the BJP has fielded five candidates, namely, Pravin Darekar, Shrikant Bhartiya, Ram Shinde, Uma Khapre, Ram Shinde and Prasad Lad.