BJP wins Pune mayor post; Maharashtra local body polls counting underway

BJP corporator Manjusha Nagpure was elected unopposed as mayor of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday, while Republican Party of India (Athawale faction) leader Parshuram Wadekar was chosen as deputy mayor.

Meanwhile, counting is underway for elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis across Maharashtra. The results will decide the political future of over 2,600 candidates who contested 1,462 panchayat samiti seats, many of which are reserved for women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.

The local body elections recorded a voter turnout of around 52 per cent. Polling was marked by minor clashes between workers of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP in some areas.

The Zilla Parishad polls, held shortly after the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, are being closely watched as a test of strength for rival NCP factions, especially in western Maharashtra districts such as Pune, Satara, Solapur and Sangli.