Maharashtra panchayat polls: BJP-Eknath Shinde camp, Uddhav-led MVA both claim victory

Mumbai : The ruling alliance of the BJP and Ekanth Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena as well as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have both claimed victory in the just concluded elections to gram panchayats in Maharashtra.
After results were declared of the polls held on Sunday in which voting took place on 581 panchayats spread across 16 districts in the state, both sides claimed they had won.
BJP claimed that it won 274 gram panchayats along with its ally Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena winning 41 others.
The party further claimed that NCP, Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena have respectively won only 62, 37 and 12 gram panchayats.
Speaking to ANI after the declaration of the results, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, “It is a verification stamp for our Shiv Sena and BJP alliance by the people of Maharashtra.” Also Read I&B Minister Anurag Thakur pitches for bringing back neutrality in news The Chief Minister, who walked out of the Shiv Sena in June after a rebellion, said that the victory is a mandate by the people that they have “accepted” the alliance between the two parties.