Maharashtra Gram Panchayat Elections: BJP-Shinde camp alliance claims big win

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena alliance has claimed a big win in the Maharashtra Gram Panchayat election 2022. According to Maharastra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, 259 candidates supported by his party and 40 backed by the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena have won. They have been elected as sarpanches.Voting for elections to 547 gram panchayats spread across 16 districts was held on Sunday. A total of 76 per cent turnout was recorded.The elections were held on non-party basis and the counting of votes was taken up on Monday. 

Besides elections to gram panchayats, direct polls for the post of village sarpanches were also held.In all, more than 50 per cent of the newly-elected sarpanches are supporters of the Shinde-BJP alliance, he said. "Gram panchayat results today have confirmed Maharashtra's faith in the Shinde-Fadnavis government," Bawankule said. Elections for 1,166 Gram Panchayat in Maharashtra will take place on October 13. The 1,166 Gram Panchayats are spread in 18 districts. The polling will take place to elect Sarpanch and Gram Panchayat members. Voting will be conducted in all the villages going to polls on October 13 from 7.30 am to 5:50 pm. In the Maoist-hit areas, polling will end at 3 pm. Counting of votes will take place on October 14.