The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday lost the posts of chairman and deputy chairman of the Kolhapur and Nashik zilla parishads (ZPs), with the Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) coming together.
Sena backing in Sangli
But the saffron party retained these posts in Sangli ZP, where local Sena members decided to back its candidates.
The BJP and Sena, former allies, are adversaries in State politics since the Maha Vikas Aghadi government came to power in November.
Zilla parishads are important local bodies and sometimes called “mini-Mantralayas (mini-secretariats)” in terms of powers.
Changed equations
Political alignments in the three ZPs changed after the BJP-Sena alliance ended.
In Kolhapur and Nashik, the Shiv Sena joined hands with the Congress and NCP in elections to the posts of chairman and deputy chairman.
The Sena’s Balasaheb Kshirsagar and NCP’s Sayaji Gaikwad became chairman and deputy chairman of the Nashik ZP, while Bajrang Patil of the Congress and Satish Patil of the NCP became chairman and deputy chairman of the Kolhapur ZP.
In Sangli, Prajakta Kore and Shivaji Dongre, both from the BJP, became the new chairperson and deputy chairman as three Sena members voted for the BJP candidates.
