Mahayuti vs MVA: Vote Counting Under Way for Five Maharashtra Legislative Council Seats

Vote counting is under way for five seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, featuring a contest between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Officials reported that polling for the Pune Graduates', Nagpur Graduates', Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates', Pune Teachers', and Amravati Teachers' constituencies took place on October 23, 2026, recording a voter turnout of 72.96%.

Election Context and Background

The polls were necessitated as the terms of the sitting members for these five constituencies are scheduled to end on December 6, 2026. Both the ruling Mahayuti alliance—comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and the Sunetra Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)—and the opposition MVA alliance—comprising the Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), and Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT)—contested all five seats. Officials noted that 182 candidates entered the fray, with both major political alignments facing internal rebellions.

Constituency-Wise Contest Details

• Nagpur Graduates': The BJP fielded Sudhakar Kohale against sitting MLC Abhijit Wanjari. Officials stated that BJP rebel Anil Sole withdrew from the contest and supported Kohale, though his name remained on the ballot.
• Pune Teachers': The BJP nominated Kaustubh Gawde against sitting MLC Jayant Asgaonkar of the Congress. Additionally, the Shiv Sena supported an independent candidate, Sachin Sanap, against the official BJP nominee.
• Pune Graduates': The BJP put forward Smita Jadhav against NCP (SP) candidate Harshada Deshmukh, alongside a candidate fielded by Shiv Sena (UBT).
• Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates': The seat featured a contest between sitting NCP MLC Satish Chavan and NCP (SP) candidate Pratapsinh Patil, with a Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate also contesting.
• Amravati Teachers': Sitting MLC Kiran Sarnaik contested on a Shiv Sena ticket against Congress candidate Aditi Pohare, alongside a candidate from Shiv Sena (UBT).

Current House Strength

In the 78-member Maharashtra Legislative Council, party positions prior to the results show the BJP as the largest party with 35 members, followed by the Shiv Sena with 12 and the NCP with 10. Among opposition parties, the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) hold five MLCs each, while the NCP (SP) has two members, alongside four independent MLCs. Voters and interested citizens can verify official results and announcements through the Election Commission of India or state election authorities.