BMC polls: BJP confident of victory despite rift with Shiv Sena

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Feb. 21 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday expressed confidence of securing a majority in the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, despite facing a stiff competition from its ally Shiv Sena. "This time the BJP will definitely get a majority, the people are with us and we have a commitment with the people. I am sure that under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP will get a majority and Narendra Modi's developmental model will be replicated in Mumbai," BJP leader Kirit Somaiya told ANI. Somaiya further said that the people would not vote for Shiv Sena as it did nothing except for plundering the people of Mumbai. "Shiv Sena is unable to face the people of Mumbai. For many years the Shiv Sena plundered people, so many scams took place, be it sanitation, drinking water facilities," he said. The local body polls would be witnessing a high pitch battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena, the Congress, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Notably, the Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and as well as at the Maharashtra Government, will be facing off with the latter after Uddhav Thackrey decided to part ways for the BMC polls. Meanwhile, police has tightened security across the city ahead of Mumbai Municipal Corporations elections and are maintaining a strong vigil to avert any untoward incident across the 7,304 polling centres. In order to prevent last minute luring of voters, Mumbai Police also conducted combing operations and checked vehicles with the help of flying squads of the state Election Commission. Polling for 227 seats of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai will be held between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm. (ANI)