Maharashtra MLC Election Results 2026: Close Contest Across Five Seats as Counting Continues

MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA: The Maharashtra Legislative Council elections for five graduate and teachers' constituencies witnessed an intense contest between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), with vote counting continuing into October 28. The elections covered three graduate constituencies—Pune, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar—and two teachers' constituencies in Pune and Amravati. A total of 182 candidates contested the five seats, making the counting process particularly competitive. Polling took place on October 23, while counting began on October 27. By the morning of October 28, officials were still processing ballots in several constituencies, and the latest reported trends showed candidates from both political alliances competing for the lead. According to early updates published by ABP Majha, MVA candidates were leading in three constituencies, while Mahayuti candidates held the advantage in two. These figures reflected the position during counting and were not the final declared results. Pune Graduate Constituency Sees a Close Contest The Pune graduate constituency emerged as one of the closely watched contests. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate Harshada Deshmukh and BJP candidate Smita Jadhav were involved in a tight race. Early counting trends placed Deshmukh ahead in first-preference votes, with Jadhav following closely. The final outcome depended on the completion of the counting process and the applicable preferential-vote rules. The contest attracted attention because of the competition between the two alliances and the importance both sides attached to the seat. Pune Teachers' Seat: Kaustubh Gawade Leads in Early Trends In the Pune teachers' constituency, BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawade was reported to be leading in the early trends. Independent candidate Sachin Sanap, who had the support of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, was also in the contest. Dattatray Sawant and sitting MLC Jayant Asgaonkar were among the other candidates. The presence of multiple candidates and the counting of preferential ballots made it difficult to determine the final outcome from early figures alone. Nagpur Graduate Constituency Witnesses Changing Trends The Nagpur graduate constituency saw a closely fought contest between Congress's sitting MLC Abhijit Wanjari and BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale. Independent candidate Nitesh Karale also emerged as an important contender. Counting updates showed changes in the relative positions of Wanjari and Kohale across successive rounds. In one reported update after the second round, Kohale was ahead of Wanjari, while Karale occupied third place in first-preference votes. Since neither leading candidate had secured the required quota in the reported count, the subsequent counting of second-preference votes became important in determining the winner. The Nagpur seat was particularly significant because the result could determine whether the BJP regained the constituency or Congress retained its representation. Amravati Teachers' Constituency: Kiran Sarnaik Holds an Advantage In the Amravati teachers' constituency, Shiv Sena candidate Kiran Sarnaik was reported to be leading against Congress candidate Aditi Pohare. Shinde-led Shiv Sena rebel candidate Shrikant Deshpande was also among the prominent contenders, adding another dimension to the contest. The presence of candidates from the same political formation and the competition with the opposition made the constituency one of the closely followed races. The reported lead remained subject to the completion of counting and official confirmation. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduate Seat Draws Attention The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar graduate constituency, also referred to as the Aurangabad graduate constituency in election coverage, witnessed a contest involving Pratapsinh Patil, sitting MLC Satish Chavan and other candidates. In the reported counting updates, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate Pratapsinh Patil held a substantial lead over Satish Chavan, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party. The contest was closely watched because both candidates represented different political formations that share the NCP name but are now separate parties. The counting process was still underway in the updates reviewed, and the final result required confirmation by the election authorities. Why Is the Counting Taking So Long? Unlike elections where results can be established through straightforward counting of votes for individual candidates, these Legislative Council elections use preferential voting. Under this system, voters rank candidates according to preference. A candidate must meet the prescribed quota to secure election. If no candidate reaches the required quota through first-preference votes, the counting process can involve the transfer of votes according to subsequent preferences and the applicable rules. The process can take considerable time when there are many candidates, large numbers of ballots and several rounds of counting. This helps explain why the counting continued into the following day and why the standings changed as officials processed additional ballots. Final Results Await Official Confirmation The five-seat contest highlighted the competition between Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi across Maharashtra's graduate and teachers' constituencies. However, the leads reported during counting should not be interpreted as confirmed victories. The final outcome depends on the completion of the counting process and the official declaration by the election authorities. Voters, political parties and candidates were awaiting the final figures as counting continued on October 28.