The Bharatiya Janata Party is set for another sweeping victory in Nagpur, the turf of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - the BJP's ideological mentor. As of 5 pm, counting trends for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) suggest a near-repeat of the 2017 results, leaving the Congress struggling to make significant inroads despite an aggressive campaign.
Per current trends, the ruling alliance is dominating the 151-member civic body.
The BJP was leading on 109 seats and its ally Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena on 3, while the opposition Congress was ahead on 27 seats.
If these trends hold, the BJP will likely equal or surpass its 2017 performance, when it won 108 seats. For the Congress, the results feel like deja vu, despite its "Mission Hundred" campaign. The party remains stalled near its 2017 tally of 28 seats.
The city of Nagpur serves as the ideological and administration heart of the RSS. It is the birthplace and headquarters of the organisation, which was founded in 1925 by KB Hedgewar.
While municipal polls typically hinge on hyper-local issues, Nagpur remains a high-stakes prestige battleground for the BJP. It is the home base for Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, both of whom rose through the ranks of the RSS.
Polling for the Nagpur civic body was held on Thursday along with 28 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra (Updates here).
Ajit Pawar's NCP is also looking set to get its first corporator in the NMC, with its candidate leading from her ward.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) also looks to find its footing in Nagpur with four candidates currently leading. The shift suggests a fragmentation of the minority vote bank that the Congress traditionally relied upon.
The AIMIM candidates who are leading are Alisha Khan, Reshma Nandgawli, Sofia Sheikh and Pawan Koye. They are ahead of their rivals in ward no 3 in Asinagar zone, which has a significant Muslim population.
The BJP is contesting 143 seats along with eight by Shiv Sena. Ajit Pawar's NCP is fighting over 90 seats. While Congress is contesting all 151 seats without any tie-up, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) is in the fray from 79 seats.
The AIMIM contested on six seats.
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