Mahayuti Wins 16 of 17 Maharashtra Council Seats, BJP Rebel’s Victory Sparks Cross-Voting Row

Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance secured a dominant victory in the Legislative Council elections on Monday, winning 16 of the 17 seats, but allegations of cross-voting and internal differences surfaced after a BJP rebel defeated the alliance’s official candidate in Nashik.

Independent candidate Gokul Geete, a BJP rebel, defeated Shiv Sena nominee Narendra Darade in Nashik, triggering claims from Sena leaders that sections of the BJP leadership had quietly supported the rebel candidate.

The Legislative Council elections were held on June 18. The BJP emerged as the biggest winner, securing 11 seats, while Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena won three seats and the NCP faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar won two.

The Opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) failed to win any seat, adding to its recent setbacks as Shiv Sena (UBT) faces a fresh political crisis following defections by some of its MPs.

Nashik defeat creates tension within Mahayuti

In Nashik, Geete defeated Mahayuti candidate Narendra Darade by securing 357 votes against Darade’s 248.

Shiv Sena leaders alleged that Geete benefited from “silent support” from some BJP and NCP members in local bodies. Geete, the brother of BJP leader Ganesh Geete, is believed to have received backing from sections of local representatives.

The electoral college for the 17 seats consisted of members from rural and urban local bodies elected earlier. In Nashik, the BJP has 186 members among the 619 local body representatives, followed by Shiv Sena with 161 and NCP with 107.

Darade accused Mahayuti leaders of betraying him and said he had been “backstabbed” during the election.

BJP rebel refuses to withdraw

Before voting, Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant and BJP leader Girish Mahajan had reportedly met Geete and urged him to withdraw from the contest.

However, Geete remained in the race, arguing that he was not holding any official post in the BJP.

Shiv Sena leaders claimed the victory would not have been possible without support from a section of the BJP leadership, raising concerns about growing friction within the ruling alliance.

Under the Mahayuti seat-sharing arrangement, the BJP contested 11 seats, Shiv Sena four and NCP two. Six seats were won unopposed after opposition candidates and independents withdrew from the contest.

The results strengthen the Mahayuti’s position in the state but expose fresh tensions between its key partners ahead of future political battles.