The NCP is all set to become the ruling party in the Rs2,000 crore civic body once again.
The Nationalist Congress party, led by Ganesh Naik, has emerged as the largest party in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) elections. The NCP is all set to become the ruling party in the Rs2,000 crore civic body once again. The party will reach the magical figure of 56 with support from independents.
"There is absolutely no issue as far as reaching the majority figure of 56 is concerned. We have support from independents like Sudhakar Sonawane, Ranjana Sonawane and others, and will be able to bag power in the civic body. I feel Congress should also join us instead of sitting in the opposition," said Naik, reacting to his party's performance in the civic polls. NCP bagged 52 seats, while Shiv Sena bagged 38 seats, Bharatiya Janata Party 6, Congress 10 and independents 5.
The result has boosted morale in the NCP cadres in the satellite city, especially after the severe drubbing it received during the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. The Shiv Sena's numbers, too, have surged- the Sena has managed to double its strength in the house.
As for the BJP, which was banking on the Narendra Modi wave, it fared comparatively poorly- it could not reach the double digit mark. BJP had contested 43 seats in the city.
The civic polls were considered to be a litmus test of Naik's leadership and the political acumen of Shiv Sena leader Vijay Nahata and BJP MLA Manda Mhatre. Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) which contested NMMC polls after a gap of 15 years, drew a blank in the polls. The prominent face of PWP Bharat Jadhav and his wife Kavita, too, tasted defeat.
Naik said, "I ensured that the morale of party workers and leaders did not dip after the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. People wanted change and they voted for it. Also, there were some mistakes on our part and we did not remain alert. In these civic polls, though, I ensured that I reached out to residents in every ward and sought votes on development. We never targetted any opposition leader and people have reposed faith in us."
Former Member of Parliament Sanjeev Naik said, "We went to people only on the development plank and people have voted for development. We will continue to work for people."
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