The BJP-led Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra, comprising Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s NCP alongside the BJP, has made a strong comeback following a disappointing general election result. In recent legislative council polls, three BJP leaders—Pankaja Munde, Parinay Phuke, and Yogesh Tilekar—secured victory with 26 votes each, surpassing the 23-vote threshold required. Additionally, two candidates from Mr. Pawar’s NCP—Rajesh Vitekar and Shivajirao Garje—also emerged victorious, along with Bhavana Gawli of Shiv Sena under Mr. Shinde’s leadership.
The Mahayuti coalition has successfully secured six out of the nine seats it contested. On the other hand, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes Congress and factions of Shiv Sena and NCP led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar respectively, fielded three candidates but managed to win only one seat through Pradnya Satav.
Today’s voting involved 11 seats contested by 12 candidates. Before the legislative voting, concerns over horse-trading and political maneuvering led to resort politics, a common occurrence in Indian elections.
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The INDIA bloc triggered this election by nominating one more candidate than it could feasibly elect based on its legislative strength. With the Assembly currently having 274 seats instead of the maximum 288, candidates needed at least 23 first-preference votes to secure victory.
The Mahayuti coalition commands the support of 201 MLAs along with backing from nine independent lawmakers, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi counts only 67 MLAs. Additionally, six MLAs declared themselves neutral during the proceedings.
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