Mumbai: The municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra on Thursday will be a turning point in state politics, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said on Wednesday.

"The elections will be a turning point. They will see communal parties like Shiv Sena losing their relevance," he told reporters at his official residence `Varsha` here tonight.
Asked about the response to rallies addressed by the Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leaders, Chavan said the crowds won`t be translated into votes. To a query on the war of words between Congress minister Narayan Rane and NCP`s Ajit Pawar, Chavan said the bitterness expressed by them was a reaction to local incidents and was not a tectonic shift in relationship between the ruling alliance partners.
The Chief Minister expressed disappointment over Samajwadi Party`s role in these polls.
"The role of SP is negative. I suspect there may be underhand understanding between SP and Shiv Sena," he said. "The SP is dividing the secular vote. The fight in these polls will be a UPA versus NDA fight," he added.
Chavan said the one crore cash haul in Amravati was party fund meant for Congress candidates.
"We need to have a more defined way of how party funds are collected," he said.
PTI