MUMBAI: In a major setback for opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured six of the 17 seats in the biennial Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections unopposed. In addition, the opposition failed to field candidates against ruling alliance nominees in two seats.
Among those elected unopposed was BJP candidate Arun Lakhani from the Wardha-Gadchiroli-Chandrapur constituency. Lakhani is the father-in-law of the daughter of NCP (SP) Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. NCP candidate Pravin Kakade was elected unopposed from the Pune MLC seat, while Shiv Sena candidate Ravindra Phatak won unopposed in Thane.
In the Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency, Aniket Tatkare, son of NCP state president Sunil Tatkare, was elected unopposed. Shiv Sena candidate Dushyant Chaturvedi was elected unopposed from Yavatmal, and BJP candidate Prajakta Tanpure was elected unopposed from the Ahilya Nagar MLC seat.
Elections will now be held for 11 of the 17 seats. Since the opposition failed to field candidates in two constituencies, direct contests between Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi will take place in the remaining nine seats. Mahayuti managed to pacify rebel candidates and also secured the withdrawal of some opposition candidates, helping its nominees gain an advantage in MLC elections.
Shiv Sena (UBT) was forced to expel three of its nominated candidates after they refused to contest the elections and withdrew from the race against ruling alliance candidates. The party said Bala Mane, Krishna Dongaonkar, and Devyani Dongaonkar were expelled for anti-party activities.
In Jalgaon, however, Mahayuti failed to persuade rebel candidate Reshma Kale to withdraw. The Shiv Sena rebel remains in the contest against BJP nominee Nandkishore Mahajan. The seat will also see a challenge from Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sharad Tayde.
Winning candidates of ruling coalition
Wardha-Gadchiroli-Chandrapur: Arun Lakhani, BJP
Pune: Vikram Kakade, NCP
Thane: Ravindra Phatak, Shiv Sena
Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg: Aniket Tatkare, NCP
Yavatmal: Dushyant Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena
Ahilya Nagar: Prajakta Tanpure, BJP