The decision to hold direct elections of the Sarpanchs in Maharashtra has been a successful move for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP saw a major victory in the phase by emerging as the clear winner in the first phase of gram panchayat polls on Monday.

According to a report on the Mint, in the first phase of gram panchayat election held on 7 October, 3,884-gram panchayats spread over 18 districts went to polls. The results of 2,974 bodies were declared by 7pm on Monday. The BJP has won 1,457, followed by Congress (301), Shiv Sena (222) and Nationalist Congress Party (194).

The BJP has recorded an impressive win in the majority of gram panchayats as well as the posts of sarpanch in the first-ever direct election.

The report states that except for a couple of setbacks in Parali in Beed district of Marathwada where the NCP, and Buldhana district in Vidarbha where the Congress has emerged victorious, the BJP has held its fort in most other places.

The report quotes Raosaheb Danve as saying, “The victory comes on the back of the hat-trick of victories we scored in municipal council, zilla parishad and municipal corporation polls. The victory proves that the measures and welfare programmes that the Modi government and the Fadnavis government are implementing are reaching the rural population,” in a statement.