Mahayuti defeats MVA as 7 Congressmen cast cross votes in MLC polls | India News – Times of India

MUMBAI: Fear of cross-voting in MLC Polls for 11 seats, with 12 candidates, became reality on Friday, with seven members of Congress casting their votes Shiv Sena and under the direction of Ajit Pawar NCPMahayuti Friday won all nine seats it contested in the legislative council elections, while Maha Vikas Aghadi lost one of the three seats it had fielded candidates for.
All the five candidates of the BJP and two of CM Eknath Shinde’s Sena and NCP emerged winners, while Congress and Sena (UBT) got one seat each. Jayant Patil of the Peasants and Workers Party, who was supported by NCP (SP) and MVA, lost.
The result is a setback for MVA ahead of the elections and shows both CM Shinde and Ajit Pawar managed to keep their legislators intact amid speculation that some of them would vote for the other side. Significantly, Uddhav Thackeray’s trusted aide Milind Narvekar, who was expected to win in the first round, won at the end of the third round.
The results are also seen as a victory for Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who led the polls for Mahayuti. The state has received a boost after its poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra and its recent defeat in the graduates and teachers elections in Mumbai.
The Congress said it had identified seven of its legislators who voted for either the NCP or the Sena. Congress candidate Pradnya Satav won in the first round as she got 25 votes against the quota of 23 required for victory. However, according to a Congress neta, the party had reserved 30 votes for her, meaning that five Congress legislators did not vote for her.
MPCC chief Nana Patole said he has submitted a report on the matter to AICC. “All traitors will be shown the door.”
BJP candidates Pankaja Munde, Parinay Fuke, Amit Gorkhe, Yogesh Tilekar and Sadabhau Khot were elected in the first round of the elections.