Maharashtra: Mahayuti alliance sweeps MLC polls, all nine candidates win

The ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra won nine out of 11 seats in biennial elections to the state legislative council on Friday. After disappointing results in the Lok Sabha election, this gain in the MLC polls is set to be a boost for the BJP and its allies.

The Mahayuti alliance include BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and deputy CM Ajit Pawar's NCP.

All five candidates including Pankaja Munde, the daughter of late senior leader Gopinath Munde, fielded by the BJP won the polls. The Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP had fielded two candidates each and they too won.

While, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, consisting of the Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar) factions, fielded three candidates. Congress's Pradnya Satav and Shiva Sena (UBT) candidate Milind Narvekar, who is also a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray won the MLC elections.

As many as 12 candidates were in the fray to contest in 11 seats. The polls were held to fill the vacancies in the upper house of the state legislature, where members were retiring on July 27.

Reacting to the win, BJP leader and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis took to X expressing confidence over the election results.

Meanwhile speaking to the reporters Ajit Pawar said, “Five MLAs supported us. I thank them. When there are elections, allegations are made but I do not think about it...Mahayuti should get such success in the Vidhan Sabha as well."

Winners’ list

BJP: Pankaja Munde, Yogesh Tilekar, Parinay Phuke, Amit Gorkhe, Sadabhau Kho

Shiv Sena: Krupal Tumane, Bhawana Gawli

NCP: Rajesh Vitekar, Shivajirao Garje

Shiv Sena (UBT): Milind Narvekar

Congress: Pradnya Satav

The MVA lacked the numbers to secure a win for its third candidate as the quota to elect one MLC were the votes of 23 MLAs.

The BJP leads with 103 MLAs, followed by Shiv Sena, (38), NCP (42), Congress (37), Shiv Sena (UBT) (15), and NCP (Sharad Pawar) (10).