Congress wins 40 seats, setback for NCP: Sangli civic polls, Latest News, Latest political news, political news, Latest and breaking News, Breaking News, Latest News today's.

Mumbai:

The Congress has on Monday dented the Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) stronghold in a big way by sweeping Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation in western Maharashtra, winning 40 of the 76 seats. The Pawar-led NCP, which controlled the corporation for the last five years -- in alliance with BJP for some time -- got only 18 seats.

Swabhimani Aaghadi, a front which included candidates of the BJP, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana and some independents, won eight seats. Independent candidates won in nine wards, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena candidate won in a single ward.

The result is a major setback to the NCP and a boost for the Congress, its ruling alliance partner at the state level.

The contest was deemed prestigious; top state-level leaders, including Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, had taken part in the campaign.

source:http://ibnlive.in.com/new