Mahayuti partners win Kolhapur Municipal Corporation election, end Congress stronghold

Kolhapur: In the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation elections, held after a gap of 10 years, Mahayuti partners broke into Congress bastion.For the 81 seats in 20 wards, Congress emerged as the single largest party in Kolhapur by winning 34 seats, but it fell short of a clear majority. A total of 41 seats is required to come to power in the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC).BJP won 26 seats, Shiv Sena won 15, and NCP won four, giving Mahayuti a majority with 45 seats. Congress, led by MLC Satej Patil, won 34 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) won one seat, and Jan Surajya Shakti party also won one seat. The third front alliance of NCP (SP), Aam Aadmi Party, and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi did not win a single seat in KMC.After the results were declared, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik reached the BJP party office and celebrated and danced along with MLA Amal Mahadik and other BJP workers. "History has been made. Mahayuti received a grand success in Kolhapur Municipal Corporations. Voters understood that development of Kolhapur can be done only by Mahayuti, as we are in power in the state and at Centre. Soon we will see a mayor of Mahayuti in the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation. We contested only 38 seats and won 24; our strike rate is the best," said Mahadik.The Kolhapur Municipal Corporation elections became a highly prestigious event amid political developments in the state. KMC was the only corporation in the state where BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP contested together as Mahayuti. A fierce contest was seen between Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi candidates. In some wards, results were announced with a very small margin of votes, while in some places, a one-sided victory was recorded.Congress MLC Satej Patil, speaking to the media after the counting, said, "In Kolhapur, nearly 3,29,000 votes were cast. Of them, over 1,50,000 votes were received by candidates of Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT). Our four candidates lost by a margin of 100 to 150 votes, in which one candidate lost by just 16 votes. I thank the citizens of Kolhapur for giving a mandate of 35 seats out of the overall 81 seats. Another five-six seats would have made a difference. At a few places, cross-voting also hit us."Stone pelting at three places, vehicle vandalisedSoon after the municipal results were announced, two groups clashed in Shivaji Peth and in the Kanan Nagar areas of the city, leading to stone pelting. Shiv Sena (UBT) party office at Takala was also vandalised by unidentified people who came on bikes equipped with sticks and other weapons on Friday night. The police carried out a minor lathicharge to disperse the crowd. The situation remained tense in these areas, with a large police force deployed.In Kanan Nagar, Ward 4, a clash broke out between the groups of Dilip Pawar and Mayur Pawar. The two groups clashed and a fight broke out, with women also involved. After stone pelting started, the police rushed in and dispersed the crowd.Stone pelting and vandalism also took place between supporters of Mansing Bondre and Shivtej Kharade, candidates from Ward 8. Windows of three houses were broken in the Shivaji Peth area and a jeep was vandalised. Police carried out a minor lathicharge to disperse the crowd and carried out a sanchalan (march) in the area, appealing for peace.Lowest victory margin of 16 votesBJP candidate in Ward 5C, Pallavi Desai won by 16 votes after receiving 7,164 votes against Congress candidate Saroj Sarnaik, who received 7,148 votes. Votes were recounted after an objection from the opposite side, after which Pallavi Desai was declared the winner.Tea seller's wife is now corporatorDhanashri Koravi, the wife of Mahesh Koravi, a tea seller, won on a Congress ticket. Dhanashri Koravi secured 7,231 votes to defeat BJP's Aparna Powar, who got 6,932 votes in Ward 16B, reserved for women.