Setback for Shiv Sena-Cong in Bhiwandi mayor polls, 18 Cong corporators vote for BJP

Update at 6:45 PM

Congress seeks action against rebel Co-orporators

In the first shock to the Maha Vikas Aghadi, BJP trumped the Shiv Sena-Congress alliance on Thursday, by supporting Konark Vikas Aghadi mayor candidate Pratibha Patil in the Bhiwandi Mayor polls. Sources say that while Congress (47 seats) and Shiv Sena (12 seats) had the numbers to trump the BJP (19 seats) in the city, 18 Congress corporators refused to support the Sena-Congress alliance and voted for the BJP's choice instead. Due to the sudden shift in allegiance, Congress'pick Rishika Raka managed to get 41 votes compared to Pratibha Patil who managed to get 49 votes in the 90 seat Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation. 

Shiv Sena gets post of Mayor & Deputy Mayor in BMC after BJP exits race

Here is the seat split in Bhiwandi Mayor polls:

• Congress : 47, Shiv Sena : 12  -- Combined total : 59
• BJP: 19, KVA : 11, Independent: 1 -- Combined total : 31

Final results :

• Pratibha Patil - 31 + 18 Congress -- 49 votes
• Rishika Rakha - 41 votes

Maha CM Uddhav Thackeray slams BJP on Hindutva, says 'keeping our word is Sena's Hindutva'

Sena retains BMC

While Shiv Sena lost the Bhiwandi Mayor polls, it won both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor polls in Mumbai Mayor polls, retaining India's richest civic body -Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Shiv Sena's Kishori Pednekar and Suhas Wadkar won the Mayor and Deputy Mayor post on November 22, after BJP's Ashish Shelar bowed out of the race. In 2017, the former allies BJP-Sena had bitterly fought the civic elections separately but later the BJP had supported the Sena nominee for Mayor's post in 227- seat Corporation.

Thane Sena mayor opposes tree-cutting for metro 4 route

Maharashtra tussle

Prior to Maharashtra Assembly polls, Shiv Sena had reiterated that it will accept only the 50:50 formula, BJP denied ever having agreed to such a formula reportedly offering 13 cabinet portfolios to Sena while keeping 26 for its ministers. Apart from Sena's portfolio demand, the party had demanded a sharing of 2.5 years in the CM post too ; this has been refused by Devendra Fadnavis, stating, 'The next govt will be formed under a BJP CM.' With no respite to the deadlock, Sena allied  with NCP-Congress and Thackeray was sworn-in as the first Thackeray CM on November 27. The alliance also won the floor test on Saturday by 169 votes, as the Opposing BJP walked out.

Maha mayoral polls: Sena-Cong-NCP get the better of BJP