‘Maha Aghadi’ experiment fails as BJP wins all ZP & PS seats in Barshi

Kolhapur: The ‘Maha Aghadi' experiment — an alliance of all non-BJP parties in Solapur's Barshi tehsil for the zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections — has failed to yield the expected outcome, with BJP sweeping all nine ZP seats in the tehsil, pushing its overall tally in the district past 40 and securing a strong majority of 68 seats.The experiment saw local MLA and former minister Dilip Sopal, a seven-term legislator from the Shiv Sena (UBT), unite Sena (UBT), Shiv Sena, NCP and NCP (SP) to challenge BJP. The initiative drew statewide attention, with deputy CM Eknath Shinde addressing a campaign rally for the alliance's candidates. Seat-sharing was settled and each party contested on its own symbol.Despite the build-up, however, the alliance suffered a complete defeat, losing all nine ZP seats and 18 panchayat samiti seats, as BJP candidates swept the polls. "Our leadership has focused closely on the development needs of Barshi tehsil. With support from BJP leadership at both the state and the Centre, we secured Rs 5,000 crore for development in recent years. After our earlier victories in the market committee and nagar parishad elections, people have once again placed their trust in us," former BJP MLA Rajendra Raut, spearheaded party's campaign in the tehsil, said.Raut had lost to Sopal in the previous assembly election. During the rally, deputy CM Shinde had indirectly invited Sopal to join Sena, offering the prospect of a cabinet berth. Shinde also sanctioned Rs 5 crore for Barshi Nagar Parishad's development works (where the election code of conduct did not apply) immediately after addressing the rally.These gestures, however, had no impact on the ground, as the results showed.