Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayoti alliance won 16 of the 17 seats in the legislative assembly on Monday, though allegations of cross-voting and tacit support from a section of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership for a rebel candidate against the Shiv Sena for the Nashik seat marred a clean sweep.
BJP rebel Gokul Geete, who contested as an independent, defeated Mahayoti candidate, Shiv Sena leader Narendra Darade, sparking the allegations.
Polling for Legislative Council seats was held on June 18. The BJP won 11 of the 17 seats. Deputy Prime Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won three seats. The National Congress Party, led by Deputy Prime Minister Sunetra Pawar, won two seats.
The opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) failed to win any seat, dealing a fresh blow to the alliance as the Shiv Sena (UBT), a key component of the assembly, faces defection of its members in Parliament. Two of the Shiv Sena’s six rebel MPs (UBT) on Sunday announced their defection to the Shiv Sena. Four more defections are expected to follow.
Shiv Sena leaders in Nashik blamed the “silent support” of BJP leaders for Geete’s victory, even though Darade was the Mahayoti candidate. Geeti received 357 votes and Darade 248. It is believed that Geeti, brother of local BJP leader Ganesh Geete, managed to get the support of a section of BJP and NCP members in the local bodies.
Members of rural and urban local bodies, who went to the polls four months ago, formed the electoral college for the 17 seats in the Legislative Council. In Nashik, the BJP has 186 local body members out of 619 members. The Shiv Sena has 161 members, and the NCP 107.
Darade accused the Mahayoti leaders of treason, saying he had been stabbed in the back. This development is likely to exacerbate friction between the BJP and Shiv Sena. Sena leaders had expressed concerns over the possibility of cross-voting during the elections.
Shiv Sena leader and minister Uday Samant and BJP leader Girish Mahajan met Geete to convince him to withdraw from the contest. But Geete remained in the fray, claiming that he does not hold any official position in the BJP. “This cannot happen without the tacit support of the BJP leadership,” said a Shiv Sena leader from Nashik, requesting anonymity.
The BJP contested on 11 seats, the Shiv Sena on four, and the NCP on two seats as per seat-sharing arrangements in Mahayoti. Six seats were won unopposed after candidates from the opposition MVA, small parties and independents withdrew from the competition.
