Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 21 Dec 

The Bharatiya Janata Party suffered a setback in the Loha municipal council polls in Nanded district after its “family pack” strategy failed, with all six members of a family fielded by the party losing the elections, officials said on Sunday.

BJP’s candidate for the post of Loha municipal council president, Gajanan Suryavanshi, and five of his relatives were defeated. The post of council president was won by the Nationalist Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar, whose candidate, coincidentally, is named Sharad Pawar.

Counting of votes for elections to the posts of president and members in 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across Maharashtra, held in two phases, began at 10 am on Sunday.

Officials said Gajanan Suryavanshi, his wife Godavari Suryavanshi, brother Sachin Suryavanshi, sister-in-law Supriya Suryavanshi, brother-in-law Yuvraj Waghmare and nephew’s wife Reena Vyavhare all lost in the Loha polls.

The BJP had faced criticism from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, which accused the party of indulging in “dynastic politics” by fielding multiple members of the same family.

In Nanded district, the NCP emerged victorious in Loha, Kandhar, Degloor and Umri, while the BJP won in Kundalwadi, Mudkhed and Bhokar. The Shiv Sena and Marathwada Janhit Party won in two places each, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress won one seat each.

Officials added that the NCP (SP), led by Sharad Pawar, failed to win any municipal council in the district.