By IANS,
Mumbai : Though they fought against each other, alliance partners Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) once again came up trumps in elections to 10 civic bodies in Maharashtra, results of which were announced here Monday, an official said.
Of the total 199 seats at stake, the Congress bagged 90 while the NCP came second with 65 seats. Both are alliance partners in the state and at the centre.
The opposition Shiv Sena came a poor third managing just 22 seats. Likewise, Shiv Sena’s alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) lagged far behind with six seats each.
Local parties secured four seats while independent candidates bagged six seats in the elections held Sunday.
The Congress has bagged the tribal area civic body of Nandurbar in northern Maharashtra winning 36 of the 37 seats – the only seat left was bagged by the NCP.
On the other hand, in the Dahanu civic body, yet another predominant tribal area, the NCP wrested control by bagging 15 of the 23 seats, while Congress got five, Shiv Sena two and BJP one seat.
Besides Nandurbar, the Congress will also control other civic bodies like Navapur, Taloda, Pandharkawada, while the NCP will rule Jawahar, Chikhaldhara and Kinwat, besides Dahanu.
The Shiv Sena will control the Igatpuri civic body where it bagged 11 of the total 19 seats, the remaining eight going to the NCP.
In Trimbak civic body, the MNS emerged as the single largest party bagging six of the total 17 seats, with the NCP capturing four, Congress three, and Shiv Sena and BJP one each while two seats went to independents.
With no clear majority to any group or party, it remains to be seen which combination will rule over the civic body.
During the past one year, though at loggerheads and contesting against each other, the Congress-NCP have emerged as the largest gainers in various civic polls.