Maharashtra MLC polls: BJP wins 5 as promised, Congress upset

Devendra Fadnavis. File pic

In nail biting finish to the MLC polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) kept the promise of winning all five seats it contested, and the Congress lost its number one candidate but won the other.

The Congress's two candidates Chandrakant Handore and Bhai Jagtap, and BJP's fifth nominee Prasad Lad were in the race for the ninth and tenth seat. Handore who got more first preference votes than his party colleague Bhai Jagtap, bit the dust. BJP's fifth candidate, a matter of prestige, Prasad Lad, romped home, along with Jagtap.

The BJP won four seats in the first round. It won the fifth seat as well despite not having additional votes. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena won two each. NCP got more than its Assembly strength.

Cross voting by Congress, Sena MLAs?

The outcome also gave credence to cross voting, especially from the Congress and Sena MLAs. BJP claimed that the independents, small parties and restive MLAs from the ruling parties voted for its nominees.

The polling was necessitated because there were 11 candidates in the fray for 10 seats. All parties took utmost care after the Rajya Sabha elections in which the BJP won the third seat in a dramatic fashion.

Cross voting was expected in the MLC polls which are held in a secret ballot, which sprang a surprise for the Congress, because the party's total first preference votes were three less than 44 which is its strength in the Assembly. The Sena too polled three less than its total strength. BJP said it got at least 12 Sena and its associate members' votes. CM Uddhav Thackeray has convened a meeting of MLAs on Tuesday.

BJP gains more than RS

The BJP claimed it has got 134 first preference votes, which was much more than its Assembly number of 106 and the count it had in the Rajya Sabha polls. BJP's Bharatiya and Shinde polled the highest 30 votes each and their second preference votes were counted first and transferred to their fifth nominee Prasad Lad, who closely fought with Congressman Bhai Jagtap.

The Shiv Sena's Sachin Ahir and Amshva Padvi, the NCP's Eknath Khadse and Ramraje Nimbalkar, the BJP's Pravin Darekar, Ram Shinde, Shrikant Bharatiya and Uma Khapre won in the first round after getting a required quota of first preference votes (25.73). Handore and Jagtap, and BJP Lad went into the second round. Handore got 22 first preference votes, Jagtap 19 and Lad 17.

Earlier, the counting was delayed by two hours after the BJP and Congress raised objection over some votes. Two votes - one each of Nimbalkar and Khapre - were decided invalid. Objection was taken over the BJP's two ailing MLAs' act of seeking help to put the ballot in the box, but dismissed. The MLAs who are fighting a serious ailment had travelled from Pune to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections as well.

Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis said the results have yet again proved unrest in the MVA government. "Many Non-BJP MLAs have voted for us big time. It shows that the MLAs are not happy with their own government," he said.

Winners in first round

BJP - Ram Shinde, Pravin Darekar, Uma Khapare, Shrikant Bharatiya
NCP - Eknath Khadse, Ramraje Nimbalkar
Shiv Sena - Sachin Ahir, Amasha Padvi

Winners in the second round

BJP - Prasad Lad
Congress - Bhai Jagtap