Congress leader Abhijeet Wanjari has retained the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency seat, defeating BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votesThe result came after over 40 hours of counting, with Wanjari turning the contest around during the second-preference vote rounds.
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Congress leader and sitting Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Abhijeet Wanjari has won the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency election, defeating BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votesWanjari secured 67,231 votes, while Kohale received 63,960 votes, retaining the seat for Congress after a closely fought contest.
The result came after more than 40 hours of vote counting, which began on Tuesday morning and continued until the early hours of ThursdayThe contest remained uncertain until the final stages, with both candidates taking the lead at different points during the counting process.
Wanjari’s victory is a setback for the BJP in Nagpur, the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin GadkariBoth leaders had campaigned for Kohale, a former MLA who was hoping to win back the constituency for the BJP.
How the Nagpur MLC election result changed
Wanjari started with a narrow lead in the first round of countingHe received 28,998 votes, compared with 28,071 votes for Kohale, putting him ahead by 927 votesIndependent candidate Nitesh Karale received 14,708 votes in the same round.
However, the contest took a different turn in the second roundKohale moved ahead with 60,924 first-preference votes, while Wanjari had 56,630Karale’s total reached 24,249 votes, making him an important factor in the closely watched contest.
Neither Wanjari nor Kohale secured the required number of first-preference votes to winAs a result, officials had to continue counting votes according to voters’ next preferences.
The result changed during these elimination rounds, as the votes of candidates who were knocked out of the contest were transferred according to the preferences marked on their ballot papersWanjari eventually moved ahead and secured victory by 3,271 votes.
The result highlighted the importance of second-preference votes in elections where no candidate reaches the required winning quota through first-preference votes alone.
Why the result matters for the BJP
The Nagpur graduates’ seat has long been politically important for the BJPGadkari represented the constituency as an MLC for several terms, and the party was keen to regain control of the seat.
The defeat is also significant because the election took place in a region where the BJP has a strong political presenceDespite campaigning by senior leaders, Kohale could not overcome Wanjari’s final lead.
Wanjari had won the constituency in the previous election as well, defeating BJP candidate Sandip JoshiHis latest victory allows Congress to retain the seat for another term.
What happened in the other Maharashtra MLC seats?
The Nagpur result was part of the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections held for five graduates’ and teachers’ constituenciesThe contests saw both the ruling alliance and opposition parties secure wins.
According to reports on the wider results, the BJP won the Pune teachers’ constituency, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena retained the Amravati teachers’ seatThe NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction won the Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar graduates’ constituencies, giving the opposition another boost.
The Nagpur result, however, drew particular attention because of the prolonged counting process and the change in the lead during the preference-vote rounds.
Wanjari’s win gives Congress a second consecutive victory in the constituency and deals a setback to the BJP’s attempt to reclaim a seat that had been represented by Gadkari for several terms.
