Hung house in Kalyan-Dombivali, Congress-NCP lead in Kolhapur

The Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections threw up a hung house on Monday, with the Shiv Sena edging past the BJP, while the Congress-NCP combine seemed set to retain the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC).

The Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party by winning 52 of the 122 seats in the KDMC. The BJP stood second with 42 and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) secured nine seats.

The Sena is 10 seats short of a majority and may seek the support of other parties.

Allies in Maharashtra and in the centre, the Shiv Sena and the BJP fought the KDMC and KMC polls independently of each other.

The Congress got four seats in KDMC, the NCP two and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party won one seat each.

Three candidates were elected unopposed in this civic body in Thane district.

In the 81-member KMC, the Congress emerged the single largest party with 27 seats followed by the NCP 15. The BJP and allies secured 32 seats, with four going to the Shiv Sena.

The Congress immediately announced that its nominee would be next mayor. It also got the backing of three other candidates to cross the magic figure of 42 in the KMC.

The architect of the Congress win in Kolhapur, Satej Patil, announced that the party would try to form an alliance with the NCP in this western Maharashtra city.

The State Election Commission said 47 percent of the electorate voted in the KDMC polls and 69 percent in the KMC elections held on Sunday.