Will make Thane, Palghar Congress-free in local body polls: BJP

THANE: After making serious inroads into Shiv Sena bastion Thane and newly-created Palghar district, BJP is now eyeing upcoming local body elections in these two districts to make them "Congress-free".

"Now that we have wiped out Congress from Thane and Palghar districts, we must strive to make them totally free of Congress in forthcoming polls to zilla parishad, village panchayat, civic bodies and district banks," said BJP national vice president Vinay Sahastrabuddhe.

In just-held Assembly elections, results for which were declared yesterday, BJP pocketed 9 out of 24 seats in Thane and Palghar districts collectively, at the expense of its erstwhile ally Shiv Sena.

Among prominent candidates, BJP's Sanjay Kelkar defeated Ravindra Phatak of Shiv Sena in latter's citadel of Thane while Manda Mhatre trounced NCP stalwart and former minister Ganesh Naik in his fiefdom of Navi Mumbai in Belapur seat.

When asked about the NCP's announcement to offer an "unconditional outside support" to BJP in the formation of government, Sahastrabuddhe said that senior party leaders will take a call.

The newly-elected BJP legislators were felicitated on the occasion.