Maharashtra RS polls: BJP baggage 3 of 6 seats in main setback to ruling Sena-NCP-Cong alliance

By PTI

MUMBAI: In a significant setback to Maharashtra’s ruling alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, the BJP on Saturday received three of the six Rajya Sabha seats within the state, even because the ruling mix questioned the eight-hour delay in counting of votes.

The winners embody BJP candidates Union minister Piyush Goyal and former state minister Anil Bonde and Dhananjay Mahadik. Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, NCP’s Praful Patel and Congress’ Imran Pratapgarhi additionally received the fiercely-fought elections.

The contest was for the sixth seat the BJP had fielded former MP Dhananjay Mahadik and the Shiv Sena candidate was Sanjay Pawar, who misplaced. Mahadik and Pawar hail from Kolhapur in western Maharashtra.

The high-stake battle for the sixth turned out to be a nail-biting affair with the Congress and BJP buying and selling prices, even approaching the Election Commission.

“Elections are contested not just for the fight, but the victory.bJai Maharashtra,” tweeted BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, whose refusal to have a consensus candidates for the Rajya Sabha led to elections within the state after 23 years.

The counting of votes began after an eight-hour delay amid complaints of cross voting and guidelines violation by the BJP and the ruling alliance.bBoth BJP and the Shiv Sena approached the Election Commission, alleging cross voting and looking for disqualification of votes.bThe ballot panel directed the Rajya Sabha election returning officer of Maharashtra to reject the vote forged by Shiv Sena legislator Suhas Kande, after which the counting of votes obtained underway.