Maharashtra: Congress joins hands with BJP for Bhandara Zilla Parishad election

Breaking Maha Vikas Aghadi's ally code, Congress allied with the opposition BJP in Bhandara district for Zilla Parishad elections. Congress which is one of the allies of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra with Shiv Sena and NCP, seemed to have sidelined Nationalist Congress Party for the elections of chairman and vice chairman post of Bhandara ZP.

According to a Maharashtra Times report, due to the alliance between the two parties, Congress has bagged the chairman post while BJP has got the vice-presidential post leaving the NCP aside.

Congress' Gangadhar Jibhakate has been given the chairmanship and BJP's Sandeep Tale has been elected as the vice-chairman.

In the 52-member Zilla Parishad, the Congress won 21 seats, the BJP 12 seats and the NCP 13 seats. Three independents, one Shiv Sena, one deprived seat and BSP party have got one seat. With a magic figure of 27, the Congress party, which won 21 seats in the Zilla Parishad, was a strong contender.

As the election for the post of Bhandara Zilla Parishad president started, two factions started emerging in the BJP. Even though 12 members won, Charan Waghmare has 5 members. while the Parineet Phuke's group despite having seven members proved to be ineffective. Waghmare joined hands with the Congress and got 27 votes along with another member.

Notably, it was believed that the Congress would take power with its traditional ally - NCP. But in the Panchayat Samiti elections, all the equations changed. The NCP joined hands with the BJP to avenge the injustice done to it in the past leading to which the Congress was left alone in the district.