Maharashtra MLC Polls Results: BJP’s Navnath Ban Targets Shinde Sena Over Losses, Says 'Mahayuti Could Have Won All 5 Seats'

· Free Press Journal

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Maharashtra chief spokesperson Navnath Ban criticised Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, accusing the ally of failing to uphold coalition commitments in the recent Legislative Council elections and contributing to the Mahayuti’s defeat in three constituencies.

In a post on X on Thursday, Ban said that an ally should not undermine its partners to secure a single seat, arguing that such a strategy was against the interests of the ruling Mahayuti alliance. He claimed that better coordination among its constituents could have helped the alliance win all five teacher and graduates’ constituency seats.

The results saw the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) win three seats, while the Mahayuti secured two. The ruling alliance retained the Pune Teachers’ and Amravati Teachers’ constituencies but lost the Pune, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates’ seats. The dispute has brought differences within the Mahayuti back into focus, particularly over candidate selection, support for rebel candidates and coordination among alliance partners.

Maharashtra MLC Polls 2026: BJP's Kaustubh Gawade Wins Pune Teachers' Seat, Harshada Deshmukh Leads Graduates' Race

Pune Teachers’ Seat Triggered Dispute

The disagreement was particularly visible in the Pune Teachers’ constituency, where the BJP fielded Kaustubh Gawade. Shiv Sena leader Mangesh Chivte had also filed his nomination, creating a contest within the alliance. After Chivte withdrew, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena extended support to independent candidate Sachin Sanap.

Gawade eventually won the seat, while Sanap secured a major number of votes but failed to emerge victorious. Ban’s criticism reflects the BJP’s contention that the Shiv Sena should have backed the official Mahayuti candidate to prevent a division of votes.

The BJP also suffered a setback in the Pune Graduates’ constituency, where its candidate, Dr Smita Jadhav, lost to Harshada Deshmukh-Jadhav of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar).

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Congress Retains Nagpur, MVA Wins Sambhajinagar

In Nagpur, Congress candidate and sitting MLC Abhijit Wanjari defeated the BJP’s Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes. Wanjari secured 67,231 votes, while Kohale received 63,960. The result was a setback for the BJP in Nagpur, a city associated with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and the RSS headquarters.

In the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates’ constituency, Pratapsinh Patil of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) defeated sitting NCP legislator Satish Chavan. Patil received 74,043 votes against Chavan’s 60,878.

Ban also alleged that Maharashtra Minister Abdul Sattar campaigned against the NCP candidate, raising questions about whether Mahayuti partners supported one another during the election.

Maharashtra MLC Election Results 2026: Mahayuti Wins Three Seats, MVA Bags Two In Graduates' And Teachers' Polls

Mahayuti Wins 2 Of 5 Seats

The ruling alliance’s two victories came in the Pune Teachers’ constituency, where the BJP’s Gawade won, and the Amravati Teachers’ constituency, where Shinde Sena candidate Kiran Sarnaik defeated Congress candidate Aditi Pohare to retain the seat.

Ban argued that the alliance’s losses in the three graduates’ constituencies could have been avoided had its partners cooperated more closely. His remarks have renewed questions over seat-sharing arrangements, rebel candidates and coordination between the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP within the Mahayuti.

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