Maharashtra MLC Polls: Massive Setback For MVA as BJP-Led Mahayuti Wins 9 of 11 Seats

Mumbai: In the high-stake MLC elections in the Maharashtra Assembly, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance registered an almost clean-sweep win in the legislative council polls held on Friday. With this, the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, consisting of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has bounced back from a disappointing result during the Lok Sabha elections 2024. According to the sources, mass cross-voting was witnessed during the polls from the opposition MLAs, leading to a comfortable win for the ruling alliance.

During the MLC elections, the BJP had fielded five candidates, while the allies Shinde Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP had fielded two candidates each and all of them managed to win the elections comfortably. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, comprising of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, had fielded three candidates.

12 Candidates Were Named For 11 Seats

BJP leader Pankaja Munde, Parinay Phuke, and Yogesh Tilekar bagged 26 votes each, the threshold for victory is 23. Two from the NCP (Ajit Pawar) party, Rajesh Vitekar and Shivajirao Garje and Shinde Sena’s Bhavana Gawli were also declared winners.

As many as 12 candidates were named in the elections, which were held on 11 seats.

Following the win, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, took to X, to express his happiness, in a short post. "9/9," he said, adding a thumbs-up emoji for effect.

BJP leader Amit Malviya took to microblogging site X and wrote, “The NDA had fielded nine MLC candidates in Maharashtra. All have won. BJP (5), Shiv Sena (2), NCP (2). I.N.D.I Alliance’s performance was sub-optimal with Congress and UBT winning one seat each and NCP (SP)’s candidate losing the contest. Good news this is.”

Wave of Relief For Ajit Pawar

The result brought a wave of relief for NCP leader Ajit Pawar, following setbacks in the general elections, as two of his party candidates, Shivajirao Garje and Rajesh Vitekar, secured 24 and 23 votes, respectively. Expressing his happiness, Pawar stated, "In the Legislative Council elections, we had 42 votes and received 47, gaining five extra votes. We are grateful to those who supported us." 

He also praised the loyalty and support of his legislators, noting, "Our legislators are trustworthy, and they have shown their confidence that they will address the people's issues."

Mass Cross-Voting in Congress: Reports

Congress candidate Pragya Satav, also emerged victorious, however, the results also highlighted internal tensions, as reports of mass cross-voting also emerged. Sources claimed that despite having 37 votes, Satav received only 25 votes, with the remaining eight votes reportedly going to candidates from other parties.

JP Nadda Congratulates Mahayuti

BJP chief JP Nadda took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the triumph. "Heartiest congratulations to all the leaders of the NDA for registering this landslide victory in the Maharashtra MLC election. I'm certain that under the guidance of Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji, you all will contribute significantly to nation-building. Your experience in public service will accelerate our efforts towards advancing both the state and the nation towards the envisioned 'Viksit Maharashtra' and 'Viksit Bharat'."