Cong-NCP make a clean sweep in Mumbai

After winning all the seven seats in Delhi, Congress today swept the polls in Mumbai by retaining all the five seats it contested.      

Its ally NCP opened its account in the country's financial capital winning the sixth seat.      

Political analysts attributed the stunning success of the ruling coalition's candidates to the "MNS" factor which cut into the votes of Congress-NCP's arch rival Shiv Sena-BJP. Several candidates of the Raj Thackeray led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) polled over one lakh votes.      

Candidates who won were Milind Deora (Mumbai South), Eknath Gaikwad (Mumbai South Central), Priya Dutt (Mumbai North Central), Gurudas Kamat (Mumbai North West), Sanjay Nirupam (Mumbai North)-- all belonging to the Congress and Sanjay Patil (Mumbai North East) of the NCP.       

MNS candidates stunned BJP's candidates Kirit Sommaiya (Mumbai North East) and Ram Naik (Mumbai North), Shiv Sena's Gajanan Kirtikar (Mumbai North West), who were considered sure winners.      

MNS's Bala Nandgaonkar finished in second position in Mumbai South constituency. Shilpa Sarpotdar of MNS polled more than 1.31 lakh votes in Mumbai North Central. While Shishir Shinde polled 1.94 lakh in Mumbai North East.      

In neighbouring Thane and Bhiwandi too, MNS candidates got more than one lakh votes. While in Nashik, MNS got 2.17 lakh votes.