Council polls: Another loss for BJP as MVA wins Amravati

Patil is known to be one of the closest aides of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. In addition, the BJP has been concentrating on Amravati for over a year now.

Local MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana and Independent MLA Bachchu Kadu have joined hands with the BJP. The party has also nominated local leader Anil Bonde to the Rajya Sabha.

The region has also been a hotbed of communal violence and incidents fuelling enmity between two communities since last one year.

The results of the biennial council polls for five seats have turned out to be embarrassing for the ruling BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena as it could win only one seat in the form of BJP’s Dyaneshwar Mhatre who won the Konkan division teachers’ constituency.

Congress emerged as a leader in the MVA with the party winning two vital BJP seats of Nagpur and Amravati, both in Vidarbha. Congress-turned-independent Satyajeet Tambe won in Nashik division graduates’ constituency.

MVA ally NCP retained Aurangabad teachers’ constituency.

“The results of the council polls is a clear indication that people of Maharashtra have rejected the new government of Shinde and Fadnavis. We are confident that the same performance will be repeated in Lok Sabha and Assembly polls,” said a jubilant Nana Patole, state president of the party.

The party held celebrations outside the headquarters in Mumbai by bursting crackers and distributing sweets. Leaders of all three parties, Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) too celebrated in Mumbai by distributing sweets.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary in-charge of Maharashtra, Ashish Dua, told The Indian Express that the party has been working tirelessly with an aim to win maximum seats from Vidarbha.

“This is an unprecedented victory in Nagpur and Amravati. We will continue to work towards achieving our goal of winning maximum number of Lok Sabha seats,” he said.