Maharashtra Legislative Council election 2020: Setback for BJP as party wins only Dhule-Nandurbar seat out of six it contested

In a big setback for the BJP, the saffron party is on the verge of losing five out of the six seats it contested in the crucial Maharashtra Legislative Council election. According to reports, the BJP has won the Dhule-Nandurbar seat.

MUMBAI: In a big setback for the BJP, the saffron party faced humiliating defeat losing five out of the six seats it contested in the crucial Maharashtra Legislative Council election 2020. According to reports, the BJP has won only one - Dhule-Nandurbar seat. 

BJP's Amrish Rasiklal Patel won the by-election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from Dhule-Nandurbar Local Authorities' Constituency 2020. Patel, who was earlier with the Congress, had quit the party to join the BJP.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP, which is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, has won Aurangabad and Pune graduates' constituencies of the state Legislative Council.

NCP's Satish Chavan won the Aurangabad division graduates' constituency, defeating BJP nominee Shirish Boralkar. Chavan polled 1,16,638 votes, while Boralkar bagged 58,743 votes, the state electoral office said.

In Pune division graduates' constituency, NCP's Arun Lad defeated BJP candidate Sangram Deshmukh by a margin of 48,824 votes. Lad polled 1,22,145 votes, while Deshmukh bagged 73,321 votes.

BJP's defeat in Pune graduates' constituency is considered to be a big blow to the party's state unit chief Chandrakant Patil, who along with former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had campaigned extensively to retain the seat.

Patil represented the Pune graduates' constituency before he became a member of the Legislative Assembly from the Kothrud constituency in the 2019 state elections. The biennial elections to six legislative council seats - three graduates' and two teachers' as well as one local body seat were held on December 1.

Reacting to the results, Devendra Fadnavis, BJP leader & former Maharashtra CM, said, "The results of Maharashtra Legislative Council polls are not as per our expectations. We were expecting more seats but won only one. We miscalculated the combined power of the three parties (Maha Vikas Aghadi).''

The MVA allies were leading in two other constituencies, out of the total five seats. In Nagpur division graduates' seat, Congress's Abhijit Vanjari was leading over his nearest rival Sandeep Joshi (BJP).

In the Pune division teachers' constituency, Jayant Asgaonkar of the Congress was leading over Independent Dattatraya Sawant. In Amravati division teachers' constituency, Kiran Sarnaik (Independent) was leading over Shiv Sena's Shrikant Deshpande.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Mumbai, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the result was a reflection of the MVA government's performance in the last one year.

Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik said, ''NCP leader Results certify the formation of Maha Vikas Aghadi and work done by us in the past one year. BJP needs to understand the truth. Their claim about the change of government after the elections has been proven hollow.''

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers began to celebrate the party's victory at two seats in State Legislative Council elections, at the party office in Mumbai. "People have shown their confidence, love, and faith in Maha Vikash Aghadi & its government," NCP MP Supriya Sule said.