Sainik joins NCP

MUMBAI: Notwithstanding the adverse impact of demonetisation , the BJP's performance in the second phase of crucial elections to the municipal councils turned out to be impressive: it won the largest number of posts of president as well as of members of councils.In the first phase too, BJP had been the biggest gainer as it wrested a large number of councils from Congress and NCP.In the second phase of elections to 14 councils ­ 10 in Pune district and four in Latur district -BJP won five posts of presidents, followed by Congress (3), NCP (2), Shiv Sena (1) and local fronts (3). In Pune, the stronghold of NCP president Sharad Pawar, BJP won Talegaon-Dabhade, Alandi and Lonavala and Udgir, and it won Nilanga in Latur district, hometown of former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh. However, CM Devendra Fadanvis was unable to make inroads in Baramati, hometown of controversial NCP leader Ajit Pawar. Despite Fadna vis' high-powered campaign in Baramati, NCP not only retained the president's post with its nominee Poornima Tawde winning by a huge margin, but out of 39 seats, NCP won 35, while the remaining four seats were won by nominees of a local front.Besides Baramati, NCP won the president's post in the Ausa municipal council in Latur; while Congress won Indapur, Jejuri and Saswad, Shiv Sena won Junnar and local fronts won the post of president in Daund, Shirur and Ahmadpur.Out of the total 335 seats in 14 councils, BJP won 89 against 17 it had won in 2011, Congress won 66 compared to 72 in the previous polls, NCP improved its performance by winning 94 seats a gainst 86 it won in 2011, and Sena too was a gainer as it won 25 seats against 19 earlier. In the first phase of the elections for 147 councils, BJP had won 51 posts of president.Gujaratis in SenaA head of the BMC polls in February, three Gujarati community politicians have joined the Shiv Sena. NCP state spokesperson Hemraj Shah, NCP functionary Jayantabhai Modi and BJP vice-president of the Gujarati division Rajesh Doshi joined the Shiv Sena on Thursday.Sources said the Shiv Sena was wooing Gujaratis in the city in view of the polls. TNNShiv Sena leader from Akola Gulabrao Gawande joined the NCP on Thursday. On the Vidhan Bhavan premises, Gawande said he had been sidelined in the Shiv Sena after Bal Thackeray's death. “I wanted to join a party that really cares for the farmers,“ the former MLA said.