Small parties, independents, friendly fights cost MVA 34 seats

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) lost at least 34 seats in the recently concluded assembly polls due to friendly fights with alliance partners and the presence of small parties and independent candidates in the fray. Candidates from parties like Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and rebels from the MVA who contested as independents led to a division of votes and the defeat of prominent MVA leaders like Harshwardhan Patil, Dhiraj Deshmukh and KC Padavi.
Conflicts emerged within the MVA during seat sharing talks and some seats witnessed friendly fights as constituent parties fielded their own candidates. Among these, the alliance lost the Uran and Pandharpur seats as opposition votes were divided among MVA partners. In Uran, where BJP’s Mahesh Baldi polled 95,390 votes and won by 6,512 votes, Peasants and Workers’ Party’s Pritam Mhatre polled 88,878 votes and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Manohar Bhoir polled 69,893 votes. In Pandharpur, the incumbent BJP MLA Samadhan Autade polled 125. 163 votes and won by 8,430 votes as opposition votes were split between the Congress candidate Bhagirath Bharat Bhalke (116,733 votes) and the NCP (SP) candidate Anil Sawant (10,217 votes).
Candidates from the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), which did not join MVA after the failure of seat sharing talks, cost the alliance at least 13 seats. Among these, the BJP and Shiv Sena won five seats, the NCP won two seats, while one seat was bagged by an independent candidate.
In Latur rural, incumbent Congress MLA Dhiraj Deshmukh lost to BJP’s Ramesh Karad by 6,595 votes while the VBA candidate, Vijay Ajanikar, polled 8,824 votes. In Sindkhed Raja, former minister abd NCP (SP) leader Rajendra Shingane lost to Shiv Sena’s Manoj Kayande by 4,650 votes while VBA’s Savita Mundhe polled 16,658 votes. In Ghansawangi, another former minister and NCP (SP) leader Rajesh Tope lost to Shiv Sena’s Hikmat Udhan by just 2,309 votes while VBA’s Kaveri Khatke polled 20,731 votes. In Paranda, Rahul Mote of NCP (SP) lost to Shiv Sena leader and minister in the previous Mahayuti government Tanaji Sawant by just 1,509 votes while the VBA candidate polled 12,698 votes. In Anushakti Nagar, NCP (SP) candidate Fahad Ahmad lost to NCP’s Sana Malik by 3,378 votes while the VBA candidate Satish Rajgure polled 10,514 votes.
Independent candidates including rebel leaders from MVA cost the alliance a few seats. In Indapur, NCP (SP) candidate Harshwardhan Patil lost to the incumbent NCP MLA Dattatray Bharane by 19,410 votes while rebel candidate Pravin Mane polled 37,917 votes. In Akkalkuwa, incumbent Congress MLA KC Padavi, who had an undefeated record since 1990, lost to Shiv Sena’s Amshya Padavi by 2,904 votes while independent candidate Heena Gavit polled 67,031 votes. In Parner NCP (SP)’s Rani Lanke, wife of MP Nilesh Lanke, lost by 1,526 votes as independent Sandesh Karale polled 10,803 votes. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidates also contributed to the defeat of MVA candidates in some seats. In Bhandup West, the incumbent Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ramesh Korgaonkar lost to Shiv Sena’s Ashok Patil by 6,764 votes while MNS’ Shirish Sawant polled 23,335 votes. In Pune’s Hadapsar, incumbent NCP MLA Chetan Tupe won by 7,122 votes while MNS’ Sainath Babar polled 32,821 votes.
In Junnar, independent candidate Sharad Sonawane defeated the NCP (SP) candidate Satysheel Sherkar by won by 6664 votes as VBA’s Deviram Lande polled 22,401 votes.