THE BMC polls are being dubbed a ‘mini assembly’ elections and are being seen as a referendum on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis wore a fierce look and launched a scathing attack on the Shiv Sena at his final rally before the high-stakes Mumbai civic elections on Tuesday.
“Like Narshimha (an avatar of Hindu deity Vishu with head of a lion), I will rip apart corruption,” he said, insinuating the Shiv Sena, who controls the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, of using it for personal gains.
Tina Ambani casts her vote at a polling booth in Colaba, says she voted for good work in Mumbai city.
1. The BMC election is a major prestige battle with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray leading their parties from the front, attacking each other ferociously. “If the BJP loses, I’ll take the responsibility and if we win credit goes to the party,” Mr Fadnavis has said.
2. If the Shiv Sena loses control of the BMC, which it has dominated for two decades, its loss of political space will be complete after the BJP dominated the last national and assembly elections redefining itself as the senior partner in the alliance after playing junior to the Sena for years.
3. In what is being called a “mini-assembly election,” voting is also being held for nine other major civic bodies, including those in Nagpur, Thane, Pune and Nashik, plus for 11 zilla parishads and 118 panchayat samitis.
4. This is the second part of civic elections in Maharashtra. In the first part held over four days ago, the BJP emerged as a major gainer, making significant inroads in the Congress and NCP’s traditional strongholds.
5. There are 9.2 million voters in Mumbai but the city has not known for a big voter turnout. In the 2014 national election 55% of the city voted, while 54% voted in the assembly elections a few months later. In the last two civic elections the voter turnout did not exceed 46 per cent.
6. Shaina NC of the BJP cycled to vote at the Napansea Road polling booth but said she could not find her name on the list.
7. Sharad Pawar, chief of the Nationalist Congress Party, voted in Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi. He could not vote for his party as the NCP has not fielded a candidate there.
8. The Sena and the BJP could not agree over seat sharing leading to the Shiv Sena announcing that the partnership is finished. Udhav Thackeray has said he will be pulling out of the BJP-led state and central governments after the civic polls.
9. As it has steadily lost ground to the BJP, the Shiv Sena has been playing proxy opposition to the BJP. Sena leaders have taken every opportunity to criticise the Narendra Modi government – from its handling of demonetisation to its Pakistan policy and handling of floods and droughts in the country.
10. There are 227 seats in the BMC. The Shiv Sena had won 75 of the 227 seats last time, with the BJP winning 31, the Congress 52 and the NCP 13. Votes will be counted on Thursday.