Congress sweeps municipal elections in Nanded

The Congress swept away the elections for Nanded Municipal Corporation of the state by winning 41 out of the total 81 seats. The Congress, which shares power with Nationalist Congress Party at the state level, went alone in elections to the 81-member Nanded Municipal Corporation, held on Sunday.

While the NCP secured 10 seats, Shiv Sena got 14 and the Bharatiya Janata Party won on 2 seats. Reacting to the victory, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan who led the party in the polls, said the win was possible due to 'teamwork' among Congress workers.

"I will give all credit to party workers. The victory was a result of teamwork and stress on developmental issues and inspiration of our leader Sonia Gandhi," Chavan said, terming the results a victory of 'people's power'.

NCP leader Pratap Chikhlikar, a staunch rival of Chavan in Nanded, alleged that Congress 'used money power' to win the elections.

Nanded is the home constituency of Chavan and the polls were considered crucial for his political future. Chavan has been looking at consolidating his position in Nanded and the larger Marathwada region to fill the leadership vacuum created in Congress following Vilasrao Deshkmukh's demise.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Industries Ministr Narayan Rane and other senior Congress leaders had campaigned for the Congress.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar had also held a rally during the campaign. The Sena-BJP-Republican Party of India alliance, which had fielded candidates in 72 seats, won 16 out of them.

Its campaign witnessed a road show by Sena executive president Udhhav Thackeray's son Aditya. MNS contested 42 seats but party chief Raj Thackeray did not campaign.

The Hyderabad-based All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen fielded 25 candidates and won 11. Three independents also won in the elections.

The Shiv Sena had offered a pre-poll alliance to the Maharashtra Navnirman Senawhich spurned the offer. Earlier, the Shiv Sena and the MNS had reached post-election understandings in places like Ambernath, Thane and Kalyan-Dombivali.