Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, February 12 Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Syed Iqbal was elected as the new Mayor of Parbhani city in central Maharashtra, with the support of the Congress, defeating his BJP rival Tirumala Khillare by a comfortable margin of 13 votes.
Iqbal, whose party contested the Parbhani City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections last month in alliance with the Congress, secured 39 votes to become the fifth Mayor, while BJP corporator Khillare received 26 votes, according to an official.
Congress corporator Ganesh Deshmukh was elected as the Deputy Mayor of Parbhani.
While the BJP criticized Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for "continuing the Aurangzeb agenda" by fielding a Muslim candidate, the Congress stated that it supported the Sena (UBT) in the mayoral elections to prevent the BJP from gaining power and to adhere to the alliance principles.
The Congress also criticized the Sena (UBT) for not supporting it in the Chandrapur mayoral elections held on Tuesday.
Following Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators joining hands with the BJP in the Chandrapur mayoral election on Tuesday, all eyes were on the election in Parbhani, but there was no last-minute twist in the central Maharashtra city.
The Congress emerged as the single largest party in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation, but failed to install its Mayor due to a post-poll tie-up between rivals Shiv Sena (UBT) and the BJP.
The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) had a pre-poll alliance for the January 15 elections to the 65-member PCMC, where the latter emerged as the single largest party, winning 25 seats. The Congress secured 12 seats.
The Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT) combine, with 37 votes, received support from an independent and a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator, easily winning the mayoral election.
Iqbal is the first Shiv Sena (UBT) Mayor of Parbhani, where the post was previously held by the Congress for multiple terms.
Speaking to reporters, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Jadhav said his party was confident of winning the Parbhani mayoral election.
"I had earlier said that the next Mayor of Parbhani would be from our party. Whatever happened in Chandrapur was limited to that city. We had a pre-poll alliance (with Congress) here (in Parbhani). We stayed together and also received support from an independent and an NCP corporator. We have given the first Mayor from our party," he maintained.
The Opposition BJP criticized the Shiv Sena (UBT), headed by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, for its choice of candidate for the Mayor's post and accused it of ignoring Marathi-speaking people.
State BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban said, "Uddhav Thackeray is continuing the Aurangzeb agenda in Parbhani. They claim to be championing the cause of Marathi people before elections, but when the time comes to install a Mayor, they field a Muslim candidate."
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandip Deshpande defended the nomination of Iqbal.
Deshpande said, "His work is important. I believe he will work in the interest of the city. Are Muslims not allowed to live in the country?"
In the elections, the Shiv Sena UBT won 25 seats, followed by the BJP (12), Congress (12), NCP (11), Jan Surajya Shakti (3), Yeshwant Sena (1) and Independent (1).
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said the party supported the Sena (UBT) in the Parbhani mayoral election to prevent the BJP from gaining power and to adhere to alliance principles, but criticized the Sena's role in Chandrapur.
Speaking to reporters in Buldhana, Sapkal said, "In Parbhani, Shiv Sena (UBT) secured the mayoral post, while the Congress secured the deputy mayoral post. All 12 Congress corporators voted for the Sena (UBT) candidate to prevent the BJP from gaining power."
"We stood by the INDIA alliance and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance to protect democracy and the Constitution, all our corporators supported Shiv Sena (UBT)," Sapkal said.
However, in Chandrapur, the Sena (UBT) did not follow the alliance spirit and instead supported the BJP. This was politically incorrect, he alleged.
"Although there was a proposal to make a Congress mayor in Parbhani, the party gave up the claim in the interest of the alliance. We are not hungry for power. We honoured the alliance. But the events in Chandrapur and Parbhani show that Shiv Sena (UBT) takes Congress' votes, but does not support it when needed," he said.
Congress leaders were in touch with Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including MP Sanjay Raut, regarding the Chandrapur issue, Sapkal said, adding that some statements made by Sena leaders were inappropriate for an alliance partner.
He also said that the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), which he described as a friendly party of the Congress, had expelled its two corporators who were absent during voting and also took action against its city president.
"But Shiv Sena (UBT) took no action and instead defended its stand. Congress will not accept this," he said.