The stunning victory in Navi Mumbai municipal corporation elections and also a fair amount of seats in polls in three other civic bodies has prompted the Sharad Pawar-led party to claim that it was the number one party in the state.
"NCP has secured 99 seats in these elections and it is once again proved that we are the number one party," NCP spokesperson Prakash Binsale said here today.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan spoke only about Navi Mumbai polls. He said the results will help to rebuild the organisation in Thane district.
"We could give tickets to all aspiring workers. We had tried for an alliance with NCP. There were differences in two three seats but then NCP decided to go alone," he said.
Congress sources said MPCC president Manikrao Thakre has to be solely blamed for the poor show. He has failed miserably on strengthening the grassroots, the sources said.
A senior congress minister in charge of the election said the Aurangabad election result was disappointing.
There has been no grassroots base for the Congress in Thane and Aurangabad, they said.
In Navi Mumbai, the voters do not know the 'hand symbol' for over a decade as after the alliance with NCP, the area is with NCP as part of seat sharing, they said.
Sena sources said the party's performance in Aurangabad was due to the trust voters have in Sena chief Bal Thackeray and executive president Uddhav Thackeray. PTI
