Nashik MLC Poll Today After Two-Year Delay; Mahayuti's Narendra Darade In Strong Position

Nashik: Voting for the election of a member from the Nashik Local Authorities Constituency to the Maharashtra Legislative Council will be held on Thursday, with the administration completing all necessary preparations. Through this election, which is taking place after a delay of more than two years, the district is set to get its third Legislative Council member.

The election appears to have tilted heavily in favour of Shiv Sena candidate Narendra Darade, owing to the last-minute unity within the Mahayuti alliance, a divided opposition, and open support extended by smaller parties to the ruling coalition.

Initially, the filing of nominations by BJP leaders Ganesh Gite and Prasad Hire, along with independent candidate Gokul Gite, had created hurdles for the official Mahayuti candidate, Narendra Darade. Although all three eventually withdrew, Prasad Hire and Gokul Gite withdrew after the stipulated deadline, meaning their names will still appear on the ballot paper. The Mahayuti leadership is therefore taking adequate precautions to prevent any cross-voting or sabotage. With Gokul Gite's standstill being viewed as ambiguous, the alliance remains cautious.

Corporators Stationed in Thane and Bhiwandi
To prevent any split among its voters, the Mahayuti has sent corporators from Shiv Sena, BJP and the Nationalist Congress Party on a tour and accommodated them at resorts and hotels in Thane and Bhiwandi. According to alliance sources, they will be brought back to Nashik on Thursday specifically for voting.

The opposition camp has witnessed partial defections, with corporators from AIMIM in Malegaon, the CPI(M) in Surgana and several independents reportedly joining the Mahayuti camp.

Following initial differences and internal disagreements, unity has been restored in the Mahayuti under the direction of senior leaders. The alliance currently has a strength of 466 corporators from its three constituent parties, and this number has increased further with support from other groups. Consequently, Mahayuti leaders are confident of securing victory in the election.