Palghar ZP bypolls: Shiv Sena wins 5 seats, NCP, BJP 4 each; Cong draws blank

Palghar, Oct 06: The Shiv Sena won five seats on Wednesday, while the NCP and the BJP got four each in by-elections to 15 vacant seats of the Palghar Zilla Parishad (ZP), an official said.

The Congress drew a blank, while the CPI(M) won one seat and an Independent was also elected to the ZP in bypolls held on Tuesday, said Palghar district collector and election officer Manick Gursal said.

In bypolls held for 14 vacant seats of Panchayat Samitis falling under the jurisdiction of Palghar ZP, the Shiv Sena bagged 5 seats, while the BJP and the Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi (BVA) got three each, he said.

The NCP got two seats and one seat went to the MNS, Gursal said.

The Congress failed to win any seat in the Panchayat Samiti bypolls, too.

Voting to fill vacant seats in the ZP (15) and Panchayat Samitis (14) coming under it was held on Tuesday and counting was taken up on Wednesday.

These seats, earlier reserved for OBC candidates, fell vacant following a Supreme Court ruling.

The apex court in March this year quashed quota for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local bodies in Maharashtra after observing that the total reservation should not exceed 50 per cent.

Half a dozen ZPs - Dhule, Nandurbar, Akola, Washim, Nagpur, Palghar - and 38 Panchayat Samitis coming under them were affected by the SC ruling.

A voter turnout of nearly 63 per cent was recorded in by-elections for 84 ZP seats and 141 seats of Panchayat Samitis across 6 districts.