Maharashtra MLC Elections: BJP-Led Alliance Dominates, Wins 9 of 11 Seats

The recent Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections have seen a resounding victory for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which includes Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s NCP. The alliance secured 9 out of the 11 seats up for grabs, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) managed to win the remaining 3 seats.

The BJP fielded 5 candidates, all of whom emerged victorious. The Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP each nominated 2 candidates, and all 4 of them won as well.[1] In contrast, the MVA, comprising the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena faction, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP, managed to secure only 3 seats despite fielding 3 candidates.

The MLC election is being viewed as a “semi-final” for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election later this year. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP was quick to celebrate the alliance’s success, posting a brief message on social media saying “9/9” with a thumbs-up emoji.

Ajit Pawar, the NCP leader, expressed his gratitude to the 5 MLAs who supported the Mahayuti alliance. He also expressed hope that the alliance would achieve similar success in the upcoming Vidhan Sabha (state assembly) elections.

The results were not entirely unexpected, as MLC elections are indirect, with lawmakers from the state assembly casting their votes. The BJP’s 103 MLAs, the Shinde Sena’s 37 MLAs, and Ajit Pawar’s 39 MLAs gave the Mahayuti alliance a clear advantage in securing the majority of the seats.

The MVA, on the other hand, faced a shortage of votes, with the Congress having 37 MLAs but fielding only one candidate, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction being 10 votes short for its lone candidate. The key to the Mahayuti alliance’s success was the support from smaller parties and independent MLAs, who played a crucial role in tipping the balance in their favor.