Mumbai : Overcoming the anti-incumbency factor, the Shiv Sena-BJP combine today appeared set to retain the prestigious Mumbai and neighbouring Thane municipal corporations.

In the 152-member Pune Municipal Corporation, where state’s ruling Congress-NCP alliance fought separately, the NCP is leading the tally winning 38 of the 104 seats declared so far. The Congress has won 17.

Springing a surprise, Raj Thackeray’s MNS is second largest with 21 seats, BJP 17 and Shiv Sena 08. The Congress-NCP combine had won the elections to the Pune municipal body in 2007.

In cash-rich BMC, the ruling saffron alliance which has a tie-up with Ramdas Athavale’s RPI, has either won or is leading in 107 seats, just seven behind the magic figure of 114. The Sena is leading the table with 77 seats, ally BJP 29 and RPI one. The Congress has either won or is leading in 54 seats and NCP in 13.

Seeking a larger political space for itself, Shiv Sena boss Bal Thackeray’s estranged nephew Raj Thackeray’s MNS is ahead in 27 places, up from 7 in 2007.

The Sena-BJP combine had won 112 seats in BMC polls in 2007, just two short of the magic 114, but had enlisted the support of four independents later.

In Thane where results for all the 130 seats are out, the ruling Sena-BJP-RPI combine has pocketed 62 seats, needing just four more for a majority.

While the Sena garnered 53 seats and BJP 8, the RPI could not reap a good harvest and finished with just one. With seven independents also emerging victorious, the saffron alliance should not find it difficult to secure a majority.

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is all set to lose the Nashik municipal corporation where Raj Thackeray’s MNS is leading the tally with 33 of the 94 seats declared so far. In the 122-member body, the Sena has secured 12 seats and BJP just nine.  NCP has pocketed 20 seats and Congress 14.

The Congress-NCP alliance retained its hold on Solapur municipal body together winning 60 seats in the 102-member House. While Congress secured 44 seats, NCP got 16. The Shiv Sena-BJP combine together fetched 34 seats. The BJP got 26 and the Sena eight.

The NCP retained the 126-member Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body, securing an absolute majority, winning 73 out of 124 seats declared results so far.

The Congress bagged 16 seats and Shiv Sena 14. The MNS which did not have a single member in the last civic body opened its account winning four seats.

In 145-member Nagpur civic body, held by the BJP-Shiv Sena combine in 2007, the BJP has secured 37 of the 80 seats declared so far and its saffron ally four.

The main Opposition Congress has won 21 seats and NCP just two.  However, in a setback for the ruling alliance, city Mayor Archana Dehankar (BJP) and her deputy Shekhar Sawarbandhe (Shiv Sena) have lost.

In Amravati, the ruling Congress-NCP alliance is all set to retain power winning 42 seats in the 87-member body, falling just two short of majority. It has the backing of RPI (Gavai faction) which has got one seat.

With 8 Independents emerging victorious, the alliance should have little difficulty in forging a comfortable majority.

The Congress had an absolute majority in the municipal body in 2007. The Shiv Sena secured 10 seats in Amravati and BJP seven. 

In Akola, where the Congress-NCP combine had won the last elections but the municipal body was superseded on the ground of financial irregularities, the polls have thrown up a hung house with both the major alliances falling well short of the magic figure of 37.

In the 73-member house, BJP-Shiv Sena has emerged as the single largest bloc with 26 seats and Congress-NCP combine 23.  Independents who have bagged 11 seats, and other smaller parties will play the role of the king maker. 

In Ulhasnagar, out of 78 seats,  Congress-NCP combine won 28 seats, BJP-ShivSena  won 30 seats, MNS 1, RPI 4, BSP 2 and Others 13 seats.

Solapur :  Congress today emerged as the biggest party in 102-member Solapur Municipal Corporation in south Maharashtra, and looked set to retain the power by striking alliance with NCP.

While Congress bagged 44 seats, NCP won 16.  Solapur is the hometown of Congress leader and Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.

Shiv Sena got 8 seats, BJP 26 and RPI only 1. BSP and CPM won 3 seats each. An independent candidate won from one ward.  Mayor Arif Sheikh (Congress) won his seat, defeating nearest rival, advocate Rajak Sheikh (BJP).

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut  described the victory as historic and said that the results have showed it was not easy to dislodge the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance from power in Mumbai and Thane.
 
Raut said, Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had claimed that after Feb 16, Bal Thackeray’s prestige will suffer a dent, but the results have showed that the Shiv Sena supremo has emerged more popular.