Mahayuti and MVA win two seats each in Maharashtra Council polls, Nagpur result awaited

Mumbai: The ruling Mahayuti alliance and the Opposition MVA secured two each of the five Maharashtra Legislative Council seats, with one going to the wire. The outcome has triggered intense political sparring among the ruling allies. The Opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT), have attributed their improved performance to the use of paper ballots.

In Amravati teachers' constituency, Shiv Sena candidate Kiran Sarnaik won by defeating Congress candidate Aditi Pohare. In Pune teachers' constituency, BJP's Kaustubh Gawade won against sitting Congress MLC Jayant Asgaonkar. Gawade's win is significant as BJP ally, Shiv Sena, unhappy over the seat-sharing formula, had backed an independent candidate, Sachin Sanap. BJP was upset with Shiv Sena for putting in all its might to support Sanap and has become an irritant between the two parties.

Also read: Who won MLC election results in UP, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharasthra? Check full list of BJP, Congress, SP winners


BJP suffered a jolt as its candidate Smita Jadhav lost to Harshada Deshmukh Jadhav of NCP-SP in Pune graduates' constituency. In Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar graduates' constituency, NCP-SP's Pratapsinh Patil won against NCP's Satish Chavan. In Nagpur graduates' constituency, BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale is trailing behind his Congress rival, Abhijit Wanjari.

Even though the results have not gone entirely in their favour, the Opposition is taking it as a victory. "If the elections are held with ballot papers as this one was, then even autocracy is defeated," said UBT Sena MP Sanjay Raut. BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban retorted by claiming that even with ballot papers, the Mahayuti alliance has come out on top. NCP, which lost the only seat it contested to NCP-SP is facing some tough questions within. National working president of NCP, Praful Patel, took to social media to take on his own party leadership. "Today's Vidhan Parishad election results serve as a definitive wake-up call. The time has come for urgent introspection...," Patel wrote.

While he didn't tag anyone, his comment was clearly aimed at party chief Sunetra Pawar and her eldest son, Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar.