After morale-boosting victories in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) continues its winning streak by securing two out of four seats contested in the biennial Maharashtra Legislative Council election. Meanwhile, the ruling Mahayuti alliance successfully retained its Konkan Graduates seat.
The election was triggered by the expiration of the six-year terms of four Members of Legislative Council (MLCs) representing the Mumbai Teachers, Mumbai Graduates, Konkan Graduates, and Nashik Teachers constituencies, set to end on July 7. The outgoing MLCs were Vilas Potnis of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray or UBT), Niranjan Davkhare of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kishor Darade of the Shiv Sena (UBT), and Kapil Patil of the Lok Bharti Party.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) marked notable successes, with Anil Parab and J. M. Abhyankar winning from the Mumbai Graduates and Mumbai Teachers constituencies, respectively. This victory heralds the third term for former Minister Mr. Parab in the Maharashtra Legislature’s Upper House.
The Nashik Teachers constituency saw Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s Kishor Darade securing a commanding victory with 32,309 votes against 21 competitors. This contest was highlighted by a challenge from Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sandeep Gulve and the independent candidature of BJP’s Vivek Kolhe.
In the Konkan Graduates constituency, BJP’s sitting MLC Niranjan Davkhare successfully defended his seat, marking his fourth term. Initially a member of the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Davkhare switched allegiance to the BJP in 2018 and has since been re-elected.
These council elections were the first State-level polls following the 18th Lok Sabha election, in which the Opposition MVA alliance secured 30 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra, while the ruling alliance garnered 17.
Looking ahead, another 11 MLC seats will go to the polls on July 12, with the last date for filing nominations being Tuesday. These elections are viewed as a precursor to the upcoming Assembly elections, with the current Assembly’s term ending on November 26.
The BJP has already announced five candidates for the biennial elections, including former State Minister Pankaja Munde, who recently lost the Lok Sabha election from Beed to the NCP (Sharad Pawar or SP)’s Bajrang Sonawane. The other BJP candidates include former MLAs Yogest Tilekar, Parinay Phuke, Amit Gorkhe, and Sadabhau Khot, each representing various constituencies and communities within Maharashtra.
The NCP (SP) has declared its support for the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) candidate Jayant Patil. In the electoral college of the Legislative Assembly, 274 members will vote, with a quota of 23 votes needed for a candidate to win. The BJP currently holds 103 seats, followed by Ajit Pawar-led NCP with 41, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 40, Congress with 37, Shiv Sena (UBT) with 13, and NCP (SP) with 15 legislators.
Amid these political maneuvers, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the enactment of a law to curb exam paper leaks during the ongoing monsoon session of the State Assembly, addressing concerns over government job recruitments.
Surjitt Sahani
