Civic polls: Saffron alliance wins BMC

Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan called the result as "surprising" and conceded defeat. "The result is surprising...unexpected. We tried to consolidate secular votes but could not meet with desired outcome," Chavan told reporters.

In 2007 polls, Shiv Sena had won 84 seats and BJP 28, but obtained a majority with the help of four independents, taking their tally to 116. Fighting separately, Congress had won 75 seats and NCP 14. Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) won 7 seats and Samajwadi Party 7.

In Pune, where the Congress and NCP contested separately, the two parties together have secured 78 of the 148 seats declared so far, one more than 77 required for a majority. The city has a 152-member corporation.

While NCP led the tally with 50 seats, Congress got 28. The BJP has so far secured 24 seats and Shiv Sena 15. Four results are yet to be declared.

In the last poll when Pune had a 144-member municipal body, NCP was the largest party with 48 seats, followed by Congress (42), BJP (24), Shiv Sena (21) and MNS just seven.

The 122-member Nashik corporation is all set to have a hung House with no party or combine near the 62 seats required for a majority. Of the 120 seats declared so far, MNS  has pocketed the largest number of 40 seats. The Congress-NCP combine has got 35 and Sena-BJP alliance 32.

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In 2007, when Nashik had a 108-member corporation, Shiv Sena had led the tally with 26 seats and ally BJP 14. The alliance had secured a majority with the help of independents and others who had 18 seats.

Congress had 22, NCP 16 and MNS 12 in the outgoing House.

In Nagpur, the Sena-BJP combine has emerged as the largest bloc with 68 seats but still five short of a simple majority. The Congress has won 41 seats and NCP 6, well behind the saffron alliance.

Ten independents and six of smaller parties would play the role of the kingmaker and with support of just five more corporators required for a majority, the task shoud not be difficult for the saffron alliance.

Nagpur, the RSS headquarters, had a 135-member corporation in 2007 with BJP the largest party with 55 seats and Shiv Sena 8. While Congress had 33 seats, NCP had 8.

Bahujan Samaj Party had 4 seats, Rashtriya Janat6a Dal 3, MNS 2, Republican Party of India 2 and independents and others 20.

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In Thane, the ruling Sena-BJP-RPI combine has pocketed 62 seats in the 130-member corporation, needing just four more for a majority. While the Sena garnered 53 seats and BJP 8, the RPI could not reap a good harvest and finished with just one.

With seven independents also emerging victorious, the saffron alliance should not find it difficult to secure a majority.

Thane had a 116-member municipal body in 2007 with Shiv Sena leading the table with 48 seats and ally BJP 5. They formed a majority with the support of independents who  had 12 seats in the outgoing body. The NCP had 25 seats, Congress 16, SP 5, BSP 2 and MNS 3.

Congress-NCP alliance retained its hold on Solapur municipal body together winning 60 seats in the 102-member House. While Congress secured 44 seats, NCP got 16. The Shiv Sena-BJP combine together fetched 34 seats. BJP got 26 and the Sena 08.

The NCP retained the 126-member Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body, securing an absolute majority, winning 73 out of 124 seats declared results so far.

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The Congress bagged 16 seats and Shiv Sena 14. The MNS which did not have a single member in the last civic body opened its account winning four seats.

In Amravati, the ruling Congress-NCP alliance is all set to retain power winning 42 seats in the 87-member body, falling just two short of majority. It has the backing of RPI (Gavai faction) which has got one seat. With 8 independents emerging victorious, the alliance should have little difficulty in forging a comfortable majority.

The Congress had an absolute majority in the municipal body in 2007. The Shiv Sena secured 10 seats in Amravati and BJP seven.

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In Akola, where the Congress-NCP combine had won the last elections but the municipal body was superseded on the ground of financial irregularities, the polls have thrown up a hung house with both the major alliances falling well short of the magic figure of 37.

In the 73-member house, BJP-Shiv Sena has emerged as the single largest bloc with 26 seats and Congress-NCP combine 23. Independents who have bagged 11 seats, and other smaller parties will play the role of the king maker.

The 78-member Ulhasnagar too had a hung municipal body with Shiv Sena bagging 19 seats and BJP 11, while ally Ramdas Athavale's RPI got 4. Put together, they still fall six short of a simple majority in the corporation they ruled. The NCP pocketed 21 seats and Congress 8, putting up a close contest.

Here, the role of Socialist Action Group of India, which once backed the saffron alliance and has secured 8 seats will be of crucial importance. Four independents and two others have also won and will decide who rules the corporation.

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