BMC elections explained
Summary |
| Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are held in Mumbai wards to elect the mayor.
There are 227 seats in the BMC and the majority party elects the mayor.
2017 BMC elections were scheduled to be held on 21 Feb and the results will be declared on 23 Feb.
In the last elections, Shiv Sena won 75 seats, BJP 31, Congress 52, and NCP 13.
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Maharashtra civic elections
FACT |
| In the so-called 'mini-assembly election', voting is being held across 10 major civic bodies including Nagpur, Thane, Pune, and Nashik, along with 11 zilla parishads and 118 panchayat samitis. This is the second part of Maharashtra civic elections. First part was held recently. |
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Main parties in fray
BMC political parties |
| 2,275 candidates are contending for the 227-seat BMC election and 92 lakh Mumbai voters will decide their fate.
The main parties include : the Congress, BJP, NCP (Nationalist Congress Party), Shiv Sena, MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena), Samajwadi Party, and others.
The election for the country's richest civic body will primarily be a tussle between the estranged allies Shiv Sena and the BJP.
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The BJP-Shiv Sena battle
Allies no more? |
| Shiv Sena and BJP had a fallout after BJP, the junior partner in the alliance, asked for a lion's share of seats to contest in BMC elections.
If Sena loses the control of BMC which it dominated for two decades, it stands to lose the little political space left after BJP redefined itself as a major partner in the last assembly and national elections.
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BMC Election : Voting underway
21 Feb 2017 |
| The BMC election, touted as the referendum on the Devendra Fadnavis government, got underway today and Mumbai recorded 32.1% voting till 1:30 pm.
Sachin Tendulkar urged people to come out and vote "rather than complaining and being unhappy about something."
Film celebrities like Rekha, Gulzar, Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh, Zoya Akhtar and many others did their part and came out to cast their votes.
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Citizens struggle to search polling booths
FACT |
| Reportedly Mumbaikars have struggled to search for their polling stations. Many of the voters did not receive any slip mentioning their booth number, causing the confusion. Some others had tough time finding their names on the voter list too. |
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BMC elections record Mumbai's highest voter turnout since 1992
22 Feb 2017 |
| Mumbai registered its highest voter turnout in 25 years - 55.28% - in the recent BMC elections, with a hike of 6-7% than 1992.
There was a surge in turnout in Malabar Hill (48.17%), Borivli (61%), Matunga and Wadala (58%) and Mulund (60%), all BJP strongholds.
High voting was also recorded in the Sena bastions of Worli (53%), Mahim (54%) and Parel (55.27%).
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BMC Elections 2017: BJP stole the show
23 Feb 2017 |
| BMC has declared results for 226 electoral wards out of 227.
Of these, Shiv Sena has a tally of 84 seats so far, with the BJP following closely with 82 seats.
Despite of this, BJP is the clear winner, having grown by 150% from its 31 seats.
NCP has won 9, MNS 7, other candidates 13 while counting is underway for 1 seat.
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Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam offered resignation
FACT |
| Accepting responsibility for Congress's bleak performance in the BMC Elections 2017, Sanjay Nirupam, Mumbai Chief of the Congress offered to resign from his post. Congress could win only 31 seats, which are substantially less than its existing tally of 52 seats. |
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Shiv-Sena BJP alliance on the cards after big wins?
24 Feb 2017 |
| After the Shiv Sena emerged the single largest party in the BMC elections (84 seats), with the BJP just two seats lower, the estranged parties might have to join hands as both are far below the 114 needed to win power.
Though both sides seem open for a fresh alliance, Sena might also explore tie-ups with the Congress (31), NCP (9) and MNS (7).
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Sena alliance possible if they stop criticizing PM Modi: Gadkari
25 Feb 2017 |
| After a bitter pre-poll fallout, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said a BJP-Shiv Sena for control of the BMC is possible if the Maharashtra party stopped criticizing PM Narendra Modi in its mouthpiece Saamana.
Earlier, senior cabinet minister Chandrakant Patil said the two should join hands.
Both Sena (84 seats) and BJP (82) are far below the 114 needed to control India's richest civic body.
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BMC: NCP will help us contest mayoral seat - Congress
26 Feb 2017 |
| Congress Mumbai chief Sanjay Nirupam said that Congress would contest the mayoral election with the help of NCP and smaller parties. The Congress won just 31 seats in the elections.
The AICC clarified that there was no question of the Congress backing the Shiv Sena politically.
However, Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan said all options are open.
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