Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said that the BJP’s 45 per cent vote share in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections underscored a decisive mandate for the party, saying that despite contesting fewer seats than Shiv Sena (UBT), the BJP emerged with a far stronger strike rate and public support.
“Many people are saying that in 2017 we won 82 seats and now we have 89, so is there really an achievement. I want to tell them that in 2017 we contested 227 seats and won 82, whereas this time we contested only 135 seats and won 89,” Fadnavis said while addressing party supporters here.
“The BJP alone has received 45 per cent votes, while Shiv Sena (UBT), which contested 30 seats more than the BJP, has a vote share of 27 per cent. This clearly shows the strength of our mandate and the strong support we have received,” he added.
Fadnavis said it had been the party’s dream to become the single largest party in Mumbai since the BJP established its own organisation in the city, a goal that has now been achieved.
He added that the ruling Mahayuti had secured a decisive mandate in the civic polls. Fadnavis said the BJP had consistently emerged as the largest party in Mumbai in Assembly elections in 2014, 2019 and 2024, and had narrowly missed the top position in the 2017 BMC polls by just two seats.
“We have realised our strength and the people of Mumbai have supported our development agenda. The BJP alone has won 89 seats, and in several constituencies, we lost by very thin margins. We could have crossed the 100-seat mark if we had not lost those seats,” he added.
The Chief Minister said the BJP-Shiv Sena combine had secured a clear majority in the civic body, even as the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena lost a few seats by slender margins. He said that in the last three BMC elections, the single largest party had never secured as many as 89 seats, and that the BJP had achieved this despite contesting fewer seats.
He said the BJP had received support across all sections and geographies of the city. “We have won in slums, high-rise buildings, Koliwadas and chawls. People from different linguistic backgrounds have supported us. This is the victory of Team Mumbai,” he said.
Fadnavis stated that the government aimed to make Mumbai a world-class, clean and liveable city, ensure transparent and people-centric civic administration, complete ongoing projects within the next two to three years and launch new initiatives after the mayor is announced.
“Mumbai will not stop. Those who wish to support our work, we will work with them to make Mumbai a better place,” he added.
(IANS)
