Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab defeated BJP’s Kiran Shelar in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections on Monday, securing victory in the Mumbai Graduates constituency.
Parab garnered 44,784 votes, while Shelar received 18,772 votes.
Out of the 67,644 voters who participated in the June 26 polling, 64,222 votes were deemed valid, with the winning quota set at 32,112 votes. Parab’s 44,784 first preference votes ensured his election.
In other news, Congress re-nominated MLC Pradnya Satav as its candidate for the July 12 biennial elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the MLA quota. The deadline for filing nominations for the 11 Upper House seats is Tuesday, July 2.
These elections aim to fill the seats that will become vacant on July 27 due to the retirement of current members. MLAs will cast their votes in this election.
Out of the 11 retiring MLCs, two are from Congress. Given Congress’s current assembly strength, the party can secure only one Upper House seat. Pradnya Satav, the widow of late Congress MP Rajeev Satav, was previously elected unopposed to the council in 2021 following a by-poll after the death of Congress MLC Sharad Ranpise.
The ruling BJP has nominated five candidates, including former state minister Pankaja Munde, who recently lost the Lok Sabha elections from Beed in central Maharashtra. The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), a Congress ally, supports Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) candidate Jayant Patil.
With 14 vacancies in the 288-member assembly, the electoral college stands at 274, and the winning quota is 23. These biennial elections precede the assembly polls scheduled for October.
