Mumbai, Oct 13 (PTI) Unfazed by its own failure in theNanded civic polls, the Shiv Sena today took potshots at theBJP, saying the results sent a message that the saffron partycan be defeated.
The Congress won 73 of the 81 seats in the Nanded-WaghalaMunicipal Corporation polls in Nanded, the home turf of stateparty chief Ashok Chavan, denting the BJP's bid to wrest powerand limiting its tally to six.
The Sena managed to open its account with one seat and anindependent also won a seat in the civic body, as per thefinal results declared by the State Election Commission thismorning.
"The Shiv Sena had to fight on dual fronts. On one handwas Ashok Chavan's Congress and on other the BJP, which usesall possible means to win an election," an editorial in theparty's mouthpiece, 'Saamana', said.
The Sena does not believe in playing casteist politics,it said.
The BJP had made the election a prestige issue, withchief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his cabinet colleaguestaking part in campaigning, but they were decimated, just likein Delhi by the AAP, the Sena said.
"The results must have been a shocker for our friend,which saw the dream of a Congress-free India. The message forIndia through this election is clear – the BJP can bedefeated," the NDA's ally at the Centre said.
The biggest lesson to be learnt from this election isthat politics of money, power and poaching does not alwayswork, and that state Congress chief Ashok Chavan, whose hometurf is Nanded, has managed to cease the winning spree of theBJP, it said.
The NCP and the AIMIM, which had 10 and 11 corporators,respectively, in the outgoing civic body, failed to open theiraccounts this time. PTI MM GKANB.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.