The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) that went to polls on Monday.
As many as eleven candidates were in the fray for the elections to the ten seats in the MLC. All the five candidates of the BJP-- Pravin Darekar, Ram Shinde, Shrikant Bharatiya, Uma Khapre and Prasad Lad emerged victorious. NCP candidates-- Ramraje Nimbalkar and Eknath Khadse-- and the Shiv Sena nominees- Aamshya Padavi and Sachin Ahir also secured their seats. Of the two candidates fielded by Congress, Bhai Jagtap secured the win while Chandrakant Handore lost.
BJP's winning candidate claimed that cross-voting happened among members of Shiv Sena and Congress.
"We are very happy. Maharashtra has shown faith in the BJP. Cross-voting 100 per cent happened among members of Shiv Sena and Congress, we wouldn't have received so many votes otherwise. BJP will get more victory and received 134 votes," said Darekar
He further said that independent MLAs have shown their dissatisfaction with the state government.
"Today we have got 134 votes and this is the answer to all those who questioned what Devendra Fadnavis can do? Devendra Fadnavis is the only leader who can lead, which all the three parties couldn't do. Devendra has done it, the government can't do anything and dissatisfaction has been shown against the government, independent MLAs have shown their dissatisfaction against the state government. We have proved this in today's poll result," he said.
Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam pointed out that Handore was lost due to "internal sabotage".
"It's really unfortunate that a Dalit candidate Chandrakant Handore who was supposed to get first preference votes of Congress MLAs lost to the second preference candidate of the Congress party. It's nothing but internal sabotage. My sympathy with Handore," he said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, BJP's general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh said that his party has 106 MLAs in Assembly and it has received 133 votes.
"Maharashtra Council Polls: Shiv Sena-MLAs in Assembly: 56, Votes received: 52; NCP- MLAs in Assembly: 53*^, Votes received: 57; Congress- MLAs in Assembly: 44*, Votes received: 41; BJP- MLAs in Assembly: 106^, Votes received: 133," he tweeted.
He further took a dig at Congress and said, "Even in defeat Congress exhibits its true colours. Its moneybag candidate Bhai Jagtap poaches party votes to defeat a Dalit leader from Party Chandrakant Handore. Old habits die hard."
The Members of the Assembly voted in the legislative Council elections at Vidhan Bhawan in Mumbai on Monday.
The BJP has 106 MLAs, Shiv Sena 56, NCP 53 and Congress has 44 MLAs. A total of 285 members cast their votes in the MLC polls.
Former Home Ministers Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik, who are in judicial custody in money-laundering cases were not allowed to vote.
( With inputs from ANI )
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