In a troubling development for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, which had been buoyed by its recent success of winning 30 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, at least seven Congress MLAs cross-voted for candidates from the ruling Mahayuti alliance during the Legislative Council polls on Friday. Sources indicate this unexpected shift could signal internal instability within the MVA just months before the crucial Maharashtra Assembly elections, slated for November.
The Legislative Council elections, usually a straightforward process, took on greater significance this time as they were viewed as a precursor to the upcoming Assembly elections. With 12 candidates vying for 11 seats, the polls became a litmus test for the political strategies and alliances in play. The opposition alliance, comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and the NCP (Sharad Pawar), had fielded one more candidate than their numbers could ensure, likely banking on cross-voting from the ruling coalition. However, this strategy appeared to backfire.
In the Maharashtra Assembly, which has 288 seats but currently only 274 sitting legislators, each candidate needed 23 first-preference votes to secure a win. The Mahayuti alliance, part of the larger NDA coalition and including the BJP, the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar wing of the NCP, fielded nine candidates, supported by 201 MLAs, including Independents and smaller parties.
On the other hand, the MVA, under the INDIA umbrella, fielded three candidates with the backing of only 67 MLAs. The MVA had hoped for some cross-voting support from the Mahayuti, especially amidst rumors of leaders from Ajit Pawar?s faction being in contact with the Sharad Pawar camp. However, the candidate backed by Sharad Pawar?s faction, Jayant Patil of the Peasants and Workers Party, failed to secure enough votes, while the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidates succeeded, alongside five from the BJP and two each from the Shinde Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP.
Sources from NDTV reported that within the Congress, which holds 37 MLAs, a quota of 30 first-preference votes had been allocated for their candidate, Pradnya Satav, while the remaining seven votes were designated for Milind Narvekar of the Shiv Sena (UBT). However, the results showed Mr. Satav received only 25 first-preference votes and Mr. Narvekar 22, suggesting that at least seven Congress MLAs cross-voted, undermining the party?s planned voting strategy.
