BJP says 100 candidates elected unopposed in Maharashtra local body elections

Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan has claimed an unopposed election of 100 councillors of the ruling party in municipal councils and nagar panchayats across the state in the runup to Maharashtra local body elections reported news agency PTIHe said three candidates were elected unopposed as the presidents of municipal councilsDue to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as many as 100 BJP councillors have been elected unopposed even before the actual polling Chavan said on Friday the last day for the withdrawal of nominations of Maharashtra local body elections reported PTIAmong the 100 councillors four are from the coastal Konkan region 49 from north Maharashtra 41 from western Maharashtra and three each from Marathwada and Vidarbha regionsElections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats are scheduled for December 2 and votes will be counted on December 3However the runup to the electoral contest is dominated by the victories of relatives of some BJP leaders without contest with a common template opponents withdrawing from the fraySeveral relatives of senior BJP leaders including ministers Girish Mahajan and Jaykumar Rawal have been elected unopposed in local bodiesOpposition parties have alleged that the BJPs tradition of dynastic politics has now reached grassrootslevel polls and that pressure was put on the police machinery to ensure unopposed wins for relatives of leadersIn Jamner Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajans wife Sadhana Mahajan was elected unopposed to the post of municipal council president after Congress nominee Rupali Lalwani and two NCP candidates withdrew from the frayMarketing Minister Jaykumar Rawals mother Nayan Kunwar Rawal was elected as president of the DondaichaVarwade municipal council in Dhule district without contest after Opposition candidate Sharyu Bhavsars nomination was rejectedBhavsar alleged that the nomination was rejected under pressure from the ministerAnother prominent uncontested victory is of Alhad Kaloti a cousin of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the Chikhaldara municipal councilCongress leader Yashomati Thakur from Amaravati district had alleged intimidation and inducements to ensure the withdrawal of competing candidatesSeveral relatives of ministers MLAs and MPs including Labour Minister Aakash Fundkar Textiles Minister Sanjay Savkare Minister Ashok Uike former MP Ramdas Tadas MLA Mangesh Chavan and MLA Prakash Bharsakle are either in the fray or have already been elected unopposed for posts in local civic bodiesWith inputs from PTI