Shelar takes potshots at Shiv Sena after civic poll results

Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar made a veiled attack on ally Shiv Sena in the backdrop of poll results of the three municipal corporations announced today.

Municipal corporations of Panvel, Bhiwandi and Malegaon went to the polls on May 24.

He said BJP has won an absolute majority in Panvel and increased its strength in Malegaon and Bhiwandi civic bodies.

The two parties, allies at the state level and also at the Centre, fought these elections separately.

During the campaigning, Sena mouthpiece `Saamana' was critical of BJP over a host of issues, ranging from non- procurement of tur dal in the state to the Maharashtra- Karnataka border dispute.

"It is sad to see that the ink of editorials from a Prabhadevi lane (where the `Saamana' office is located) has gone waste. People still choose (PM Narendra) Modi. You (Sena) keep up playing up with new words... what (those who are) disconnected from the society else can do?" Shelar tweeted.

The Sena could not win a single seat in Panvel in adjoining Navi Mumbai. In the 90-member Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation, Sena won 12 while BJP bagged 19.

In the 84-member Malegaon civic body, Sena bagged 13, while BJP won nine.

Shelar also hit out at Shiv Sena over the BMC's plans to increase entry fee for Jijamata Udyaan (zoo) at Byculla to Rs 100 per person from Rs 5 now.

The Mumbai civic body, which runs the zoo, is controlled by Shiv Sena.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)