The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today said its victory in the Navi Mumbai civic polls was significant as it managed to overcome the 90,000-vote deficit of the last year's Maharashtra Assembly polls.
"In October, party leader Ganesh Naik was defeated and the Shiv Sena and BJP, who contested separately, had managed to poll 90,000 votes. In six months, we (NCP) have managed to turn the tide despite the saffron alliance in power," NCP state president Sunil Tatkare said.
In the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) polls, out of the total 111 seats, NCP bagged 53 and is likely to retain power unless Congress and others back Sena-BJP alliance which secured 43 seats.
NCP has secured 53, Sena 37, BJP 6 and others 5 seats in the Navi Mumbai polls.
The state NCP chief said that the Shiv Sena-BJP combine was in power for 25 years in the Aurangabad Municipal Corporations.
Tatkare said, "The rise of MIM with more than 20 seats and the manner in which the poll campaign was conducted gives room to doubt that both parties were hand in gloves to polarise the voters."
Meanwhile, he said that NCP president and former Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar will tour the areas affected by recent hailstorm and unseasonal rains from May 2 to 4.
On recent statement by state revenue minister over death figures of farmers in the state, Tatkare said: "The clarification given by Khadse regarding farmers suicides was like rubbing salt on their wounds. It was expected that the BJP-Shiv Sena government would show resolve in standing firmly behind the crisis hit farmer."
Khadse had recently said there were only three cases of suicide due to the natural disasters while the total number of farmers who committed suicide was 601 this year. But only three of them ended lives due to damage caused by the unseasonal rains.
On another issue, Tatkare said polls to elect new NCP state chief will be held on April 29 and a meeting will be conveyed on April 27 to discuss the organisational elections and election of district unit chiefs.
