The Congress retained its hold over the Nagpur Zilla Parishad in Maharashtra as both its candidates were elected to the posts of president and vice-president of the local body on Monday.

The Congress' Mukta Kokarde was elected as the president and Kunda Raut as the vice president during a special general body meeting of Zilla Parishad members, a senior official said.

Korkarde got 39 votes, while Raut got 38 votes in the 57-member Zilla Parishad, he said.

The outgoing Zilla Parishad president Rashmi Barve, also of the Congress, completed two-and-a-half years of the five-year term.

Speaking to reporters, former minister and Nagpur Congress rural unit chief Rajendra Mulak described the victory of party nominees as "historic" and claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was losing ground in Nagpur.

The BJP could not field its candidates in the election, he said.

Nagpur is the home district of deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader?Devendra Fadnavis.