MUMBAI: The state BJP is worried over the party’s dismal performance in the latest municipal polls . It is even more concerned that the Shiv Sena performance was better than its own.

The setback is a matter of “deep concern” for a party barely six months into office after a spectacular win in the state assembly election last year, said a state BJP functionary on Friday.

The BJP strategists are quick to deny that the six civic polls are a mini-referendum on the performance of the Devendra Fadnavis ministry. Poll results for the Navi Mumbai, Aurangabad, Ambernath and Badlapur civic bodies, among others, were announced on Thursday.

The BJP’s chief grouse is that it failed to score over its ally, the Shiv Sena, in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, said sources in the BJP.

“For us, the Ambarnath and Badlapur civic elections were an experiment in expanding our Hindutva base in and around Thane district and Navi Mumbai. However, the Sena has fared better than us in the region,” said a state BJP functionary.

In the Navi Mumbai municipal corporation, the Sena, which had inked a poll alliance with the BJP, won 38 seats in a 111-strong civic house, while the BJP had to remain content with the low seat tally of six.

The BJP-Sena chose to go solo in the Ambernath and Badlapur-Kulgaon municipal council polls, clearly to test their individual strengths.

In Ambarnath, the Shiv Sena won 26 seats out of the total 57, and the party is all set to rule the municipal council without the BJP.

In the Badlapur-Kulgaon municipal council the Sena won a clear majority with 24 seats in a 47-strong civic house.

The BJP bagged 10 seats in Ambarnath as against its tally of one in the 2010 election.

The BJP, according to a local party functionary, “vastly improved” its record in the Badlapur-Kulgaon municipal council by winning 20 seats, 11 more than its 2010 tally.

“However, this is small comfort. We haven’t succeeded in expanding our Hindutva base, while the Sena has retained its Marathi vote bank,” he said.

