NEW DELHI: The ruling BJP in Maharashtra suffered a setback on Thursday when the party-backed candidate Nagorao Ganar lost the Maharashtra Legislative Council election to the Nagpur division. Rao lost to Sudhakar Adbale, who was backed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
The setback was significant as Nagpur is not only the home turf of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis but also has the RSS headquarters.
BJP candidate Dnyaneshwar Mhatre, however, won polls to the Konkan division teachers constituency, defeating the MVA-backed Balaram Patil. Mhatre was supported by the CM Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena.
The counting for Aurangabad division teachers constituency and Amravati and Nashik division graduates segments was not over till the filing of the report.
The polling for biennial elections to all five seats of the Upper House of the Maharashtra legislature was held on January 30.
The six-year tenure of five Maharashtra Legislative Council members (three of Aurangabad, Nagpur and Konkan from teachers constituencies and two from graduates constituencies Amravati and Nashik) is ending on February 7.