Is the BJP shielding goons? If data available on the winners of the Mira-Bhayandar municipal polls is anything to go by, the claims could well be true. BJP may have swept the recent polls with 61 seats, but the winners' affidavits filed with the state election commission has revealed that at least 14 among them have serious criminal cases against them. Further, 47 of these winners are crorepatis.

The analysis was conducted by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Maharashtra Election Watch (MEW).

Of the 95 winners, almost 28 per cent have criminal cases against them. Of these, 18 per cent are involved in serious offences, including murder, extortion, criminal intimidation, forgery and cheating. BJP, which won the elections, has the largest share of winners with criminal cases – 14, while Shiv Sena only has two people with a bad track record.

Further, 73 of 95 winners are crorepatis, according to the analysis report. The report stated that the winner with the highest declared total assets is Arvind Anand Shetty of BJP, who has declared assets over R43 crore. Shetty also has liabilities of over Rs 11 crore.