The ruling Congress party emerged victorious in the Kolhapur civic body elections by winning 31 seats in the 77-member municipal corporation.
The NCP, which had formed an alliance with the Janasurajya Party, came second by bagging 29 seats.
The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance was routed, as it could win only seven seats. The Congress party, which had contested independently for the first time, had made the elections a prestige issue. The campaigning was headed by Forest Minister Patangrao Kadam. However, in the 107-member Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, no party or alliance could reach the magic figure of 54 for staking claim to power.
The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, which was ruling the civic body, bagged 40 seats, while the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which had independently contested all 107 seats, put up an impressive performance by winning 27 seats. The fractured mandate suggests MNS could play a major role in deciding the next mayor of the civic body.
The Congress party, which contested the polls under the leadership of Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, has declared it would not stake claim for power but sit in the Opposition. The Congress party’s strength had reduced to 15 from 21, which it had held in the last house. Similarly, the NCP, whose seats have fallen to 14 from 23, has decided to sit in the Opposition. Political analyst said the MNS role would be crucial.