Maha civic polls: 1,251 candidates in fray for Bhiwandi, Malegaon, Panvel elections

Mumbai: As many as 1,251 candidates are in fray for the municipal corporation elections in Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Panvel scheduled to be held on May 24.

The Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) is currently ruled by the Congress-led alliance, while the Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) is helmed by the NCP-AIMIM alliance.

For the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC), it will be the first election after it came into existence in October last year.

Total 12.96 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Panvel, which collectively have 252 seats. The results of the elections will be declared on May 26, the State Election Commission said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) are in the fray.

AIMIM has fielded nine candidates in Bhiwandi and 37 in Malegaon, the commission said.

MNS has fielded seven nominees in Bhiwandi and 25 in Panvel. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has put up 22, Janata Dal (United) four, Janata Dal (Secular) 10 in these three civic bodies, according to the election commission.

BJP has fielded 189, NCP 90, Congress 152, Shiv Sena 144 candidates across the three civic bodies. There are 355 independents trying their luck. Some local and registered parties are also in the fray.

Of the 18 municipal corporations which completed their five-year term this year, elections to 10 bodies were held in February, while Latur, Parbhani and Chandrapur went to polls last month.

The BJP, which is in power in the state, has posted successive wins in the local bodies polls since December last year.