Many BJP candidates came from other parties: Cong on Sangli

After being worsted by the BJP in Sangli civic polls, the Congress in Maharashtra today claimed that more than a third of BJP candidates had been poached from other parties.

The BJP yesterday won control of the Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation in western Maharashtra for the first time, winning 41 seats in the 78-member House and ousting the Congress from power.

The Congress won 20 and its ally NCP got 15 seats.

Commenting on the result, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant alleged that out of 78 candidates fielded by the BJP, 29 were poached from other parties.

"Congress and NCP need to learn a lesson," he said, adding that rather than fighting over how many seats each party should contest, it is more important to see which party can more win more seats.

Considering the poaching of candidates and use of "money and power" (allegedly by the BJP), the result in Sangli was not bad, he quipped.

The BJP also won the control of Jalgaon Municipal Corporation in north Maharashtra in the election.