In the party’s bastion for several years, the BJP is in power in the 75- member civic body with 57 corporators. However, BJP’s 27 corporators rebelled against the party.
In a big jolt to the saffron party, the BJP candidate on Thursday lost the mayoral election in the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation as 27 party corporators cross-voted.
After winning 45 votes, Shiv Sena”s Jayshree Mahajan was elected the mayor.
In the party’s bastion for several years, the BJP is in power in the 75- member civic body with 57 corporators. However, BJP’s 27 corporators rebelled against the party and voted for the Shiv Sena candidate.
In the election on Thursday, Shiv Sena”s Jayshree Mahajan bagged the mayor’s post, while BJP rebel Kulbhushan Patil was elected the deputy mayor.
Jayshree Mahajan received 15 votes of the Shiv sena, three of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) and 27 of the BJP rebels. On the other hand, the BJP candidate Pratibha Kapase, got 30 votes.
Eknath Khadse, a prominent leader from Jalgaon who quit the BJP in October last year and joined the NCP, claimed the BJP corporators were upset since the last two-and-a-half years, PTI reported.
Referring to BJP leader Girish Mahajan, Eknath Khadse told PTI: “Since the BJP came to power two-and-a-half years ago, it became arrogant and did not work for the development of the city. The BJP”s own corporators wanted to teach the party leaders a lesson.”
He met Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray 10 days ago and discussed the situation in Jalgaon, Khadse said, adding that Shiv Sena leaders Eknath Shinde and Vinayak Raut were present during the discussion.
Uddhavt Thackeray is heading the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra which comprises the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress.
“I told the chief minister that if he assures he would look into the development work of Jalgaon, the disgruntled BJP corporators will switch sides,” Khadse was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
“We didn’t even persuade the BJP corporators. They have been so upset about the functioning of their party leaders that they didn’t even bother about attracting provisions of the anti-defection law,” he said.
The BJP had received a blow last month when the NCP managed to elect its mayor in the Sangli Miraj Kupwad Municipal Corporation, which was ruled by the saffron party.
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