NASHIK, DEC 13: The rift between the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party surfaced during the election of the president of the Bhagur Municipal Council on Friday with the Sena supporting the candidature of a BJP rebel to defeat the official BJP nominee.The ruling Sena supported Rohini Gaikwad (she was denied a ticket by the BJP) who defeated the official BJP nominee, Vasanti Rahane, by a single vote.
Gaikwad polled nine votes against Rahane's eight.
The Bhagur Municipal Council has seven Sena members, two BJP members and eight Independents.
Elections in eight other municipal council presidents was held in the district on Friday. Elected unopposed from the Yeola and Trimbakeshwar municipal councils were Bharatiya Janata Party candidates Bholanath Lonari and Suchitra Shikhare.
Lonari secured eleven votes with nine members boycotting the poll. In Trimbakeshwar, the ruling Sena did not field its nominee, and the only other candidate in the fray, BJP's rebel candidate, Poornima Gaikwad,withdrew.
In Nandgaon and Satana, the Congress retained power. Its nominee in Satana, Sanjay Chavan, was elected unopposed, while in Nandgaon, its candidate, Kaka Solase secured ten votes, defeating the Shiv Sena's Rajesh Banker, who polled seven votes.
In Igatpuri, Sena's Sanjay Indulkar was re-elected for a third term, while in Sinnar, Sena-supported Bhamatai Londhe was re-elected unopposed for a second term.
In Malegaon, Mohammed Yakub Abdul Sattar of Janata Dal wrested power from Congress, defeating Syed Roshan Ali by five votes. In Manmad, an Independent, Kusum Kirtane was elected unopposed.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.