Sangli (Maharashtra), Jul 9 (IANS): The Congress Monday wrested the Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation (SMKMC) from the Nationalist Congress Party, jolting the latter in its stronghold.

The Congress secured 40 of the 78 seats in the SMKMC, while the NCP, which ruled the civic body in the prosperous western Maharashtra for the past five years, came a distant second with only 18 seats.

Swabhimani Aghadi, a front of various local parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna and independents, cornered eight seats, while Independents bagged nine seats and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena got a single seat.

The result prove to be a major setback for the NCP - which is an ally of the Congress at the state and centre - as the drubbing came in its own stronghold and backyard of Home Minister R. R. Patil.

A beaming Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan described the election outcome as “a desire of the people for good governance".

State Congress President Manikrao Thakre minced no words when he said that the “NCP’s arrogance has been broken” by the SMKMC results.

“This is an indicator of what will happen in 2014,” said Thakre in a warning to NCP.

Even other senior ministers like Industry Minister Narayan Rane and Patangrao Kadam castigated the NCP for its alleged acts of commission and omission which resulted in the complete rout in the elections.