MLC polls: Shiv Sena (UBT) wins both Mumbai seats, BJP retains Konkan

Results of state legislative council elections declared: Shiv Sena (UBT) wins Mumbai teachers and graduates seats, BJP retains Konkan graduates

Mumbai: Results of elections to four seats reserved for teachers and graduates in the state legislative council were declared on Monday. Shiv Sena (UBT), which had fielded candidates in three of the four seats, secured wins from the Mumbai teachers’ constituency and the Mumbai gradutates’ constituency, while the BJP retained the Konkan graduates’ seat. Counting in Nashik graduates constituency was going on till late evening.

Navi Mumbai, India - July 1, 2024:During celebration of MLC election victory Anil Parab Shiv Sena (UBT) at Agri Kohli Bhavan , Nerul in Navi Mumbai, India, on Monday, July 1, 2024. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

Counting for the Mumbai and Konkan seats was undertaken at Navi Mumbai, while counting for the Nashik seat was undertaken at Nashik. Counting was suspended at Nashik for an hour in the morning after Shiv Sena (UBT) objected to extra ballot votes found in the tally.

“At one polling centre, there were 935 voters as per the final figure released after polling. But today, we found there were 938 ballot papers at the centre. So we reported the matter to the divisional commissioner,” said Sudhakar Badgujar, chief of Shiv Sena (UBT) in Nashik.

Though Shiv Sena (UBT) had complained that 12,000 names were removed from the final voters’ list for the Mumbai graduate constituency, party candidate Anil Parab registered an easy victory from the seat over BJP candidate Kiran Shelar. Of the total 67,644 votes polled, 3,422 votes were declared invalid, and 32,111 votes were required to secure a victory. Parab polled 44,784 votes, defeating Shelar, who secured 18,772 votes, by a margin of 26,012 votes. Parab rushed to Matoshree after being declared as winner and sought blessings from party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

In the Konkan graduates’ constituency, BJP candidate Niranjan Dawkhare defeated Congress candidate Ramesh Keer easily, helping the party hold on to the seat.

The Mumbai teachers’ constituency witnessed a close fight between Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate JM Abhyankar and Shikshak Bharati candidate Subhash More even though three more candidates were in the fray. Abhyankar was leading by 208 votes as per the last update, although Shiv Sena (UBT) had started celebrations.

In the Nashik teachers’ constituency, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena candidate Kishore Darade was leading against Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sandip Gulve by 1,775 votes when reports last came in.