In a setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) supported candidate won the Nagpur division teachers’ seat of the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Thursday.
Nagpur, where the headquarters of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is located, is also the home district of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
MVA-supported Sudhakar Adbale defeated Nagorao Ganar, a BJP-backed independent and the sitting MLC from the seat.
However, BJP candidate Dnyaneshwar Mhatre won the election to the Konkan division teachers constituency. Mhatre, the BJP candidate, also backed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, won the Konkan teachers constituency trouncing MVA-supported nominee Balaram Patil.
Polling for biennial elections to five seats of the Upper House of the legislature was held on January 30. The counting of votes for three other seats – the Aurangabad division teachers constituency and Amravati and Nashik division graduates segments – was underway. The six-year term of five Council members – three from teachers and two from graduates constituencies – is expiring on February 7.
Returning officer and divisional commissioner Mahendra Kalyankar, who announced the results of the Konkan teachers constituency, informed Mhatre polled 20,683 votes while Patil bagged 10,997. The Konkan teachers constituency covers Thane, Raigad, Palghar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. This segment recorded the highest voter turnout at 91.02 per cent.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole claimed Vikram Kale, the candidate of Mahavikas Aghadi for Aurangabad Teachers Constituency has won and congratulated him. He also congratulated Sudhakar Adbale for winning the Nagpur seat.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar said that the results were a slap on the face of the ruling state government.
“While the results are not fully out, they are a slap on the face of the ruling government [Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction-BJP]…all parties ought to speak, think and plan carefully before making big claims regarding the outcome,” The Hindu quoted Pawar as saying.
(With PTI inputs)
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