Nagpur, Oct 8 (UNI) The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena alliance has suffered a jolt in the by-elections to ten wards of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) as it could retain only one of the eight seats that it originally held, even as independents ruled the roost, winning six seats.

The BJP posted the lone win for the saffron alliance, retaining one of the five that it held earlier, while the Shiv Sena, which held three, could not win even one. The Congress, which had two seats among those contested in the by-elections, could win only one seat.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which had no seats, wrested two.

Among the six winning independents is Kamlesh Chaudhari, the son of Dilip Chaudhari, the Congress member whose death caused the by-poll in that ward. The Congress had denied Kamlesh a ticket, after which he entered the fray on his own.

The by-elections were held to fill up the vacancies caused by the disqualification of five councillors from the BJP, three from the Shiv Sena and one from the Congress after their caste certificates were found invalid, and the death of a Congress councillor.

The party-wise strength in the 136-member NMC general body after the by-elections is -- BJP 51, Shiv Sena 5, Congress 32, NCP 10, BSP 5, RJD 3, MNS 2, Independents 17 and others 11.

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