In a significant turn of events, the NDA-led Mahayuti alliance swept the Maharashtra biennial legislative council elections, winning all nine seats it contested out of the eleven available. This victory follows an impressive performance by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in the recent Lok Sabha polls. Among the victorious candidates from Mahayuti were BJP’s Pankaja Munde and Parinay Fuke.
From the MVA alliance, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Milind Narvekar and Congress’s Pragya Satav secured seats, while Jayant Patil from the Peasants and Workers’ Party (PWP), backed by the Nationalist Congress Party (SP), lost. With twelve candidates vying for eleven seats, the contest was intense, leading to speculation about potential losers. Ultimately, Jayant Patil faced defeat.
The vote count revealed that seven Congress votes were split, impacting the outcome. Congress, with 37 MLAs, saw 25 first-preference votes go to Pragya Satav, indicating 12 additional first-preference votes. Milind Narvekar received 22 first-preference votes, though Uddhav Sena only has 15 members, leaving five votes unaccounted for. Jayant Patil garnered 12 first-preference votes from the NCP (SP) faction. Eight candidates secured victory through first-preference votes, while others depended on second-choice votes. A minimum of 23 first-preference votes was required to win.
The detailed vote count is as follows:
BJP:
Pankaja Munde: 26 (Winner)
Parinay Fuke: 26 (Winner)
Amit Gorkhe: 26 (Winner)
Yogesh Tilekar: 26 (Winner)
Sadabhau Khot: 14 (Winner in second round)
NCP (Ajit Pawar):
Shivaji Rao Garje: 24 (Winner)
Rajesh Witekar: 23 (Winner)
Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde Group):
Kripal Tumane: 24 (Winner)
Bhavna Gawli: 24 (Winner)
Congress:
Pragya Satav: 25 (Winner)
Shiv Sena (UBT):
Milind Narvekar: 22 (Winner in second round)
PWP:
Jayant Patil: 12 (Lost)
The victory of the NDA-led Mahayuti alliance underscores the strong factional support for Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. This outcome suggests that despite Congress’s success in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the party does not have full control over its MLAs. The cross-voting by Congress MLAs points to potential instability within the party, which could influence upcoming assembly elections.
Eknath Shinde’s strategic decisions, such as fielding Bhavna Gawli and Krupal Tumane, who won their seats, indicate a recalibration of his political strategy. Despite this success, the BJP and Mahayuti alliance should remain cautious, as public opinion in the assembly elections might differ from the legislative council results.
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