Mumbai
oi-Ashish Rana
Differences emerged within Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance on Thursday after the BJP blamed its ally Shiv Sena for the alliance’s poor performance in the Legislative Council elections. The BJP accused Shiv Sena of not supporting its alliance partners and weakening the coalition.
Following the 23 October Maharashtra Legislative Council elections where the Mahayuti alliance secured two of five seats, the BJP accused ally Shiv Sena of non-cooperation and weakening the coalition, contributing to the poor performance.
The elections were held on 23 October for five graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies. The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won three seats, while the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance managed to win only two.
BJP Accuses Shiv Sena Of Non-Cooperation
Polling was held for Pune graduates’, Nagpur graduates’, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) graduates’, Pune teachers’ and Amravati teachers’ constituencies.
Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Navnath Ban alleged that the Shiv Sena did not fulfil its alliance obligations in the Pune and Nagpur constituencies. He said its last-minute support to independent candidate Sachin Sanap in Pune’s teachers’ constituency dented the Mahayuti’s unity.
He also accused Shiv Sena MLA Abdul Sattar of campaigning against the NCP in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, contributing to the alliance’s setbacks. The Mahayuti alliance consists of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP.
BJP Claims Alliance Could Have Won All Five Seats
In a post on X, Ban said the Shiv Sena’s support to Sanap did not translate into votes for the BJP in the Pune graduates’ constituency.
He claimed that had the Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, supported the BJP and the NCP, the Mahayuti could have won all five seats.
“By pursuing one seat in Pune, the Shiv Sena put its allies in difficulty and cost the alliance an opportunity to win three seats,” Ban said, adding such a stand was not in the interest of the Mahayuti.
शिक्षक आणि पदवीधर मतदारसंघांच्या निवडणुकीत पुणे आणि नागपूरमध्ये मित्रपक्ष असलेल्या शिवसेनेने अपेक्षित सहकार्य केले नाही. पुण्यात ऐनवेळी सचिन सानप यांना पाठिंबा देऊन शिवसेनेने महायुतीच्या एकजुटीलाच धक्का दिला. त्यांना मिळालेली मतं पदवीधर निवडणुकीत भाजपला मिळाली नाहीत. तर छत्रपती संभाजीनगरमध्ये अब्दुल सत्तार यांनी तर थेट राष्ट्रवादी काँग्रेसलाच्या विरोधात प्रचार केला. त्याचाही फटका बसला.शिवसेनेने महायुतीचा धर्म पाळून भाजप आणि राष्ट्रवादी काँग्रेसला सहकार्य केले असते, तर पाचही जागांवर महायुतीचा विजय झाला असता. मात्र, पुण्यातील एका जागेच्या हव्यासापोटी शिवसेनेने मित्रपक्षांना अडचणीत आणले आणि तीन जागांवरील विजयाची संधी गमावली. एका जागेसाठी मित्रपक्षांचे नुकसान करण्याची भूमिका महायुतीच्या हिताची नाही.
— Navnath Kamal Uttamrao Ban (@NavnathBanBJP) October 29, 2026
BJP Leader Calls For Review Of Poll Results
Maharashtra BJP vice-president Keshav Upadhye also called for a review of the council poll results. He questioned why the ruling alliance could win only two seats despite the possibility of a clean sweep if its partners had contested together.
“Will we introspect as the Mahayuti after the results of the five seats? Will we consider why we stopped at two when there was a strong possibility of winning all five seats had we contested together?” Upadhye asked in a post on X.
पाच जागांच्या निकालानंतर तरी ‘महायुती’ म्हणून आत्मचिंतन करणार आहोत का?एकत्रित लढलो असतो तर पाचही जागा जिंकण्याची सहज शक्यता असताना दोन वर का थांबलो याचा विचार करणार आहोत का?#आत्मचिंतन #महायुती
— Keshav Upadhye (@keshavupadhye) October 29, 2026
MVA Wins Three Seats, Mahayuti Secures Two
NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate Harshada Deshmukh-Jadhav won the Pune graduates’ constituency, while Congress nominee Abhijeet Wanjari bagged the Nagpur graduates’ seat.
An NCP (SP) candidate emerged victorious in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Marathwada) graduates’ constituency.
BJP nominee Kaustubh Gawade won the Pune teachers’ constituency, while Shiv Sena contestant Kiran Sarnaik secured the Amravati teachers’ seat.
