Defections led to NCP defeat in Sangli civic polls: Jadhav

Smarting under the humiliating defeat at the hands of Congress in its stronghold of Sangli in the municipal corporation election, NCP today said that its mass base remained intact despite the fact that it went to the hustings on its own election symbol for the first time without allies.
Wresting the control of Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation in western Maharashtra from NCP, Congress improved its tally to 40 seats out of 78 seats that went to polls on Sunday.
"This was for the first time that NCP contested Sangli elections on its own election symbol. In 2008, we were part of the local front of NCP, BJP, Janata Dal and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi against Congress. Our front had won 36 seats as against 25 of Congress," said state unit NCP president Bhaskar Jadhav.

NCP, which controlled the corporation for the last five years, bagged only 18 seats.
"This time, Congress polled 1,94,232 votes and its vote share stood at 38 per cent while that of NCP is 30 per cent as it polled 1,53,066 votes," he said.
Jadhav said that it was wrong to assume that NCP stood weakened merely on the outcome of one civic body election.

The routing of NCP in the close contest is seen as a huge embarrassment for senior leaders R R Patil and Jayant Patil who belonged to the western Maharashtra district, and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

To a query, Jadhav said that speeches of some NCP leaders during the election campaign were not up to the mark. "This could have been avoided but it was Congress which provoked us first," Jadhav said.
He said that all Congress factions in Sangli put up a united fight while ten of NCP corporators shifted their loyalty to Congress and old allies dumped NCP.
"This time, partners in the local outfit led by NCP left us. Besides, closeness with Shiv Sena also benefited Congress," he added.
Jadhav alleged that during the Congress rule of ten years till 2008 of the civic body, its financial condition deteriorated and the NCP rule from 2008 brought financial stability and discipline.