BJP scores big, bags four out of six seats in biennial legislative council polls

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis with newly elected BJP MLC Chandrashekhar Bawankule (second from right) on Tuesday. Pic/PTI

The BJP has scored big in the biennial legislative council polls by retaining the Nagpur seat and defeating the Shiv Sena in Akola-Buldhana-Washim, winning four out of the six seats. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had put up a combined force against the opposition party, but did not achieve the desired result.

Early this month, the agreement between the parties turned four seats into no-contest ones, with the BJP getting two and the Sena and Congress retaining one each. However, the Nagpur and Akola-Buldhana-Washim contests evoked great interest. The former one became quite dramatic because of the Congress's decision to withdraw its official candidate on the eve of polling in order to back an independent. The latter contest became a very prestigious one because it involved the Sena's three-time sitting MLC, who ultimately lost to the chagrin of the principal ruling party.

Ex-minister's rehab

In Nagpur, former energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule's rehabilitation in the state legislature was finalised two years after the BJP denied him an Assembly ticket. Bawankule replaced Girish Vyas as the BJP's MLC from Nagpur district local bodies. Winning by a margin of 176, Bawankule got 362 votes, while the Congress-backed independent Mangesh Deshmukh scored 186. In Akola-Buldhana-Washim, BJP's Vasant Khandelwal (443) pulled off a stunning victory over a sitting MLC Gopikishan Bajoria (334). The Sena had won the segment thrice in alliance with the BJP, but lost when pitted against the ally-turned-archrival.

Two seats in Mumbai and one each in Kolhapur and Dhule were decided without a contest. The Congress pulled out in Mumbai to avoid a contest between the three. As a result, Shiv Sena's Sunil Shinde and BJP's Rajhans Singh were declared winners. In Kolhapur, Congressman and minister of state Satej Patil won unopposed after the BJP made way for him. In Dhule, the Congress withdrew in favour of the BJP's sitting MLC Amarish Patel. However, no pact happened between the BJP and Sena in western Vidarbha. Similarly, the Congress was hell bent on being even with the BJP in Nagpur, but became the butt of the joke because of the row surrounding an import from BJP.

Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis said the four wins in six seats have dismissed a narrative that the three parties together can win all elections. "These polls have proved some people wrong and it is the beginning of our victory march for the future. Our winners have also got votes from the MVA representatives and we thank them for their support," he said, adding, "The BJP, which is the single largest party, is well-prepared to beat the MVA in the forthcoming civic and ZP polls across the state."

State Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe accused the BJP of horse trading. "We will introspect the verdict despite the fact that our vote share hasn't reduced. Our candidate (in Nagpur) isn't rich. The winner is financially sound. The BJP had 90 additional votes and yet it had to whisk all the voters away to other states. This is the BJP's moral defeat," he said.