Click to play videoMumbai: It is phase two of the Municipal Council polls in Maharashtra on Wednesday. But it is being seen as a token phase since Sharad Pawar's NCP virtually swept the polls in the first phase itself. What is bigger is that Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign seems to have had no effect on the polls.
It was a special birthday gift for NCP President Sharad Pawar as his party virtually swept the Municipal Council elections, coming just weeks after an unpleasant experience where he was slapped in public and Anna's controversial reaction to that was, "Just one slap?"
The NCP seems to have hit back winning over 1,100 of the nearly 3,000 seats across 133 municipal councils.
NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase, "There was a malicious campaign against the NCP. But I am glad that the people of Maharashtra have spoken in favour of the NCP and I'm grateful for that."
While Anna didn't directly campaign against any party in Maharashtra, he had continuously slammed the NCP for remaining silent on the Maval firing issue. It is in Maval that the NCP has done very well. Anna had in fact slammed both coalition partners the Congress and the NCP for corruption in the state.
While the Congress has faced upsets, particularly in Narayan Rane's stronghold Ratnagiri and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's home turf Karad, it has won the second highest number of seats in the state.
Congress spokesperson Anant Gadgil said, "See the results, there is no Annaji effect on this election. In fact, it is for Team Anna to read between the lines from what has happened in Maharashtra."
With the Anna movement having made waves in most urban areas, all eyes are now on whether it will be a factor in corporation elections next year.
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