MUMBAI: The BJP ’s central leadership is unhappy with the Maharashtra BJP unit’s performance in the recent Maharashtra Legislative Council elections and has sought an explanation for the defeat in key constituencies, particularly Nagpur Graduates’ constituency.
The party’s central leadership has taken serious note of the results and is expected to seek a detailed report from Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan on the reasons behind the electoral setback. The review will examine whether organisational shortcomings, internal factionalism and inadequate coordination with alliance partners contributed to the losses.
The setback has raised questions about the state unit’s electoral preparedness, especially after the BJP failed to retain Nagpur Graduates’ constituency, a politically significant seat in the home city of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. RSS headquarters is also located in Nagpur.
In the MLC elections, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has won three of the five MLC seats while ruling party Mahayuti has won only two seats. The Congress retained Nagpur Graduates’ constituency, while the NCP SP won the Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates’ seats.
The BJP won Pune Teachers’ constituency, and the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde secured Amravati Teachers’ constituency.
The Nagpur defeat has proved particularly embarrassing for the BJP, which had invested considerable political resources in the constituency. CM Devendra Fadnavis stayed for the last two days in Nagpur. Despite that, Congress candidate Abhijeet Wanjari defeated BJP nominee Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes.
Sources said that the defeat of the BJP in Nagpur is handy work of the internal party rivalry because more than 15000 votes were turned invalid, among them 4000 votes were mischievously turned invalid by marking preference no -- two rather than one.
"The people who are close to Union minister Nitin Gadkari have not worked, and those who worked ensured more invalid votes for BJP candidates as a symbol of expressing dissent against the BJP-nominated candidate. Besides, the BJP miscalculated the influence of independent candidate Nilesh Karade, who secured 25,000 votes while his majority of second preference votes went to the Congress candidate, and that changed the final result. The loss of the BJP in the MLC has had an adverse impact on the BJP's central narrative against the Congress party. Nagpur seat was very symbolic in many senses. Therefore, the analysis has to be done," said senior BJP leader.
Maharashtra BJP state president Ravindra Chavan earlier said that they will review the reasons behind this defeat. Mr Chavan is expected to submit a detailed report about MLC polls to party leadership.
Senior BJP leader and minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has taken responsibility for the Nagpur defeat and said the party would examine the shortcomings that contributed to the result.
The review will also assess whether alliance partners fulfilled their commitments to campaign for officially backed candidates and whether party workers followed instructions from their leadership.
The BJP has alleged that sections of the Shiv Sena failed to support its candidates in the Pune Graduates’ constituency and other contests. Party leaders have also questioned the role of local leaders accused of campaigning against Mahayuti nominees.
The MLC election results has intensified tensions between the BJP and the DCM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. BJP leaders have accused sections of the Shiv Sena of failing to support alliance candidates in the Pune and other constituencies. The Sena, however, has disputed the allegations and pointed to a lack of coordination within the alliance.