As the counting of votes polled in Maharashtra gram panchayat elections continues, the BJP is slightly ahead of the Shiv Sena in a tight race for the single largest party, with the NCP following close behind.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents —Sena, NCP and Congress — appear to have won most of the panchayats. This will give MVA a clear edge in the sarpanch elections, which are to be held in a few days’ time.
In Maharashtra, MVA has won 58% of 12,711 gram panchayats, but BJP appears to have won the highest seats individually. A clear picture of the results is expected by Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, MVA and BJP both are claiming victory in the panchayat election.
Full results will be available on Tuesday, but trends indicate that collectively, MVA will dominate the gram panchayats for the next five years. The last gram panchayat polls were held in 2015-2016.