The Shiv Sena and its allies in Maharashtra – the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party – on Wednesday won the majority of seats in the nagar panchayat elections, but the Bharatiya Janata party emerged as the single-largest party, reported The Times of India.

Nagar panchayat polls are held in areas with a small population. A nagar panchayat is a form of urban local self government established in towns that are not classified as either urban or rural, and does not have a functional municipality.

Of the 1,649 seats in 97 nagar panchayats, the BJP won 384, the Nationalist Congress Party 344, the Congress 316 and the Shiv Sena 284.

The Nationalist Congress Party, the Congress and the Shiv Sena are part of Maharashtra’s ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi. They contested the polls jointly in some areas but independently in others.

As many as 206 Independent candidates also won in this election.

Overall, the Shiv Sena-led coalition has won 57 semi-urban local bodies while the BJP bagged 24, reported NDTV.

The state Election Commission said that counting of votes for nine nagar panchayats from Gadchiroli district will be held on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, BJP state unit chief Chandrakant Patil had claimed that his party won over 400 seats.

“We are in a strong position to lead 24 local bodies and we need the support of a couple of corporators to stake claim in another six towns,” he said.

The BJP was not in power for nearly 26 months but has managed to record such success, Patil said.

“Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray seems to be content with his post,” he added. “He cares less for his party or party leaders, as they are losing ground across the state. The situation has benefitted the NCP.”