Abhijit Wanjari retains Nagpur MLC seat for Congress

Congress candidate Abhijit Wanjari has retained the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, defeating the BJP’s Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes. The victory follows a prolonged counting process that lasted over 40 hours.

The result is considered a significant political setback for the BJP, as Nagpur is the home city of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, and serves as the headquarters for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). While the BJP candidate initially held a lead in first-preference votes, Wanjari secured the win through the transfer of second-preference votes during the elimination rounds.

Wanjari, an advocate and academic, secured 67,231 votes against Kohale’s 63,960. Independent candidate Nitesh Karale also played a notable role, receiving 24,249 votes. The win was achieved with the support of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which included the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar).