Days after its victory in the Rajya Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continued its victory march on Monday in the cliffhanger election for 10 seats of the Maharashtra Legislative Council by winning five nominees despite a lack of adequate votes. It was yet another setback for the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and Congress in particular as it failed to win two seats despite the ruling alliance claiming the votes of 166 MLAs. BJP's fifth nominee Prasad Lad emerged victorious while the Congress party's first nominee Chandrakant Handore lost while its second nominee Bhai Jagtap won. With BJP's victory spree, the survival of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi is at stake as the saffron party will now demand MVA to prove its majority and win a confidence motion in the state assembly in the upcoming monsoon session.
Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was the architect of the victory of BJP's three nominees in the Rajya Sabha election, performed a miracle again in today's state council election as party won five seats. BJP has yet again outwitted the Shiv Sena-led MVA due to precision like military planning and by exploiting the burgeoning resentment and disgruntlement among the ruling partners. There were 11 candidates in the fray in the state council election.
Fadnavis, who was flanked by party legislators, claimed BJP polled 134 votes against 123 votes in the Rajya Sabha election. ''There has been a lack of coordination and resentment in ruling MVA. Legislators voted as per their conscience despite lack of sufficient votes for the fifth candidate,'' he claimed. ''Maharashtra is solidly standing behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and today's victory shows a beginning of a change. BJP's fight will continue till the party-led government is formed in Maharashtra,'' he noted.
The contest for the 10th seat had become a prestige battle for the state's ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi after the upset in the recently held Rajya Sabha election, where the Shiv Sena candidate was defeated.
BJP won five seats including Pravin Darekar, Shrikant Bharatiya, Ram Shinde, Uma Khapre and Prasad Lad as five of them were able to get 133 first preference votes against their strength of 114. BJP has succeeded in luring legislators from the MVA. It is learnt that at least 3 legislators each from Shiv Sena and Congress have defected and are believed to have voted for BJP. Darekar polled 29 votes, Shinde 30, Bharatiya 30, Khapre 27 while Lad got 17 first preference votes. During the preferential voting Lad got 28 second preference votes.
BJP, which is stepping up attack against MVA government, has crafted its poll strategy well under the leadership of former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who weathered odds to win five nominees.
The quota for 10 seats was 25.72 votes after two votes comprising one each of NCP nominee Ramraje Nimbalkar and BJP candidate Uma Khare were declared invalid by the Returning Officer on technical issues.
Shiv Sena, which has yet to recover from the defeat of its second candidate Sanjay Pawar in the Rajya Sabha election, heaved a sigh of relief after its two nominees Sachin Ahir and Aamasha Padvi won. Shiv Sena with its 55 legislators polled 52 votes in favour of Ahir and Padvi and they have declared elected based on the first preference.
On the other hand, NCP with 51 legislators and three independents polled 57 votes for Nimbalkar and Khadse. Nimbalkar got 28 votes while Khadse, who had left BJP and joined NCP in October 2020 blaming the former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for ruining his political career, bagged 29 votes. Khadse claimed he had got additional votes from his friends from the BJP.
As far as Congress is concerned, its nominee Chandrakant Handore bagged 22 votes and second nominee Bhai Jagtap polled 19 votes. Congress with 44 legislators has miserably failed to keep its flock together as its two nominees bagged 41 first preference votes. Three Congress legislators have reportedly defected and cross-voted.
Congress Legislative Party leader and Revenue Minister Balaaheb Thorat admitted that the party legislators have cross-voted. However, he clarified that he will not blame allies NCP and Shiv Sena for the Congress party's inability to win two seats. ''The MVA government has completed two and half years and there is a need for self-introspection,'' he opined.
Earlier, BJP MLA in Maharashtra Laxman Jagtap, who is suffering from a life-threatening ailment, today turned up to vote in the state legislative council elections. Dressed in a PPE kit, mask, and gloves, Jagtap was seen in a wheelchair surrounded by supporters who were raising slogans. Besides, another BJP legislator Muta Tilka, who was not keeping well, also came in an ambulance and polled her vote.
Congress raised an objection to two wheelchair-bound voters using a third person to vote. Congress wrote to the Returning Office saying two BJP MLAs have violated voting rules by taking the help of a third person to cast the vote. "According to rule 40A conduct of election rules only the visually impaired or illiterate can take help of a third person while casting his her vote," it said.
However, the BJP said the party had sought permission to assist the members who were ailing to cast their vote. Thereafter, the Returning Officer and the Election Commission rejected the Congress party's objection which led to the commencement of counting for nearly after two and half hours
