In the Badlapur Municipal Election, BJP's Ruchita Ghorpade defeated Shiv Sena's Veena Mhatre by 7433 votes. Out of 6 candidates from Vaman Mhatre's house, 3 have been defeated, and BJP has conquered Shiv Sena's stronghold.
The results of the elections for 286 municipalities and municipal councils in the state were announced on December 21. These results were being eagerly monitored across the state. Although the grand alliance achieved good success in the elections, a major setback occurred for the Shiv Sena Shinde faction's stronghold in Badlapur. The family of Shiv Sena's city chief in Badlapur, Vaman Mhatre, always held dominance in politics. Vaman Mhatre's family had come together to nominate in the election, but the voters did not favor them.
Vaman Mhatre's wife Veena Mhatre was a candidate for the mayoral position. BJP's Ruchita Ghorpade defeated her by 7,433 votes, which led BJP to win the mayoral position in Badlapur. This is a major upset, as Badlapur was considered a stronghold of Shiv Sena. Notably, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and MP Shrikant Shinde have been significantly impacted by this.
Six members from Vaman Mhatre's family were in the election. Out of them, only 3 won, meaning 50% of the candidates were victorious. Vaman Mhatre, his brother Tukaram Mhatre, and sister-in-law Usha Mhatre won, but the younger members of the family – Vaman Mhatre's wife, son Varun, and nephew Bhavesh faced defeat. This led to discussions that voters have rejected dynastic politics.
Shiv Sena's ticket distribution caused discontent among loyal party workers, which was evident in the voting. The opposition's slogan "Are the workers only supposed to carry mats?" resonated with the voters. This result makes it necessary for the Shiv Sena Shinde faction to re-establish their strategy and dominance in the upcoming elections.
For Badlapur and Ambernath municipalities, MP Shrikant Shinde was responsible. However, the strategy devised by BJP MLA Kisan Kathore and Minister Ravindra Chavan succeeded. In Badlapur, both BJP and the Shinde group won 23 seats each, yet BJP clinched the mayoral election. Voters considered how many positions one family should hold and opposed the dominance of the Mhatre family.
In Brief
Ruchita Ghorpade of BJP defeated Veena Mhatre of Shiv Sena by 7433 votes in the Badlapur Municipal Council election.
Three out of six candidates from Vaman Mhatre's family were defeated.
As a result, BJP has conquered Shiv Sena's stronghold.
This election indicates a major change in local politics.
Due to BJP's victory, the power equation in Badlapur has changed.