NASHIK, March 23: The Congress party sweeped the elections of zilla parishad presidents in the four districts of north Maharashtra, wresting the Nashik and Jalgaon zilla parishad from the Shiv Sena-BJP and retaining its control over the Dhule and Ahmednagar.In the elections held yesterday, the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance lost control over the Nashik and Jalgaon zilla parishad. In Nashik, Congress nominee, Anil Aher became the president, defeating the Sena-BJP candidate Bhimsingh Tunver by a margin of three votes. Aher polled 36 while Tunvar could secure 33 votes in the House of 71 members. Two votes were rendered invalid. In Jalgaon, Congress' Ravindra Patil became the new zilla parishad president. He defeated BJP's Rajaram Mahajan by four votes. Patil polled 36 while Mahajan secured 32 votes.In Dhule, the Congress retained its hold as Subhash Devre was elected as the president. The Congress now control all the four zilla parishad in north Maharashtra.The Congress victory is significant in Nashik, wherethe Shiv Sena nominee, Pandurang Raut had been elected president last year with the margin of a single vote. Raut had polled 35 while his opponent, Yashwant Bhoye had secured 34 votes. Two congress members, Tarabai Patil and Sushila Charoskar were missing on the day of the presidential poll and when they were traced the following day, they accused local Sena man of abducting them. However, later the police arrested four persons, including a local Congress leader Sunil Devre, for allegedly masterminding the abduction.
