MLC Elections: BJP's Dnyaneshwar Mhatre wins Konkan seat, Congress sweeps Vidarbha region

The Bharatiye Janata Party (BJP) clinched the Konkan division seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections on Thursday but the saffron party lost the Vidarbha region to Congress.

BJP's Dnyaneshwar Mhatre won the Konkan seat while Sudhakar Adbale, supported by the MVA, won the Nagpur teachers constituency defeating his closest rival Nagorao Ganar, a BJP-backed independent and the sitting MLC from the seat, they said.

Nagpur is the home district of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and also Union minister Nitin Gadkari.

Counting underway in Aurangabad

Counting of votes for three other seats - the Aurangabad division teachers constituency and Amravati and Nashik division graduates segments - was underway. Polling for biennial elections to all the five seats of the Upper House of the legislature was held on January 30 and counting began on Thursday morning.

Mhatre beats Balaram Patil

Mhatre, the BJP candidate also backed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, won the Konkan teachers constituency trouncing MVA-supported nominee Balaram Patil.

Returning officer and divisional commissioner Mahendra Kalyankar, who announced the results of the Konkan teachers constituency after counting of votes in Navi Mumbai, said Mhatre polled 20,683 votes, while Patil bagged 10,997.

Konkan division sees highest voter turnout

Although there were eight candidates in the fray, the main contest was between Mhatre and Patil. The Konkan teachers constituency covers Thane, Raigad, Palghar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. This segment had recorded the highest voter turnout at 91.02 per cent. The MVA comprises the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

NCP's Vikram Kale leading in Aurangabad

In the Aurangabad teachers constituency, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Vikram Kale was leading after the first round of counting.

The six-year term of five Council members - three from teachers and two from graduates constituencies - is expiring on February 7 and polling was held to fill up the upcoming vacancies.

Teachers and graduates fulfilling certain criteria and enrolled as voters formed the electoral college for these elections. (With PTI inputs)