Rane's party trumps BJP, Congress in Kankavli local body polls

The newly-floated Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksh of former Congress leader Narayan Rane today won an election in Sindhudurg district of coastal Maharashtra, wresting the control of a local body from his erstwhile party.

MSP contested the municipal council polls at Kankavli in the district against BJP, which recently sent Rane to the Rajya Sabha as its candidate.

MSP won 10 out of 17 seats, the BJP and Shiv Sena won three each, while the NCP got one. The Congress, which controlled the municipal council earlier, drew a blank.

Rane was elected to the Rajya Sabha as a BJP candidate last month, while his son Nitesh Rane is a Congress MLA from Kankavli.

The former Maharashtra Chief Minister quit the Congress in September last year alleging that the state leadership had sidelined him.

He founded his own outfit, MSP, and declared support to the BJP-led NDA.

Nitesh Rane, though critical of Congress leadership, has not quit the party yet.

Results of elections to six municipal councils in Maharashtra were declared today, with the ruling BJP winning the post of chairperson in four places.