Maharashtra: Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Anil Parab defeats BJP’s Kiran Shelar in Council polls from Mumbai Graduates seat

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab defeated the BJP's Kiran Shelar in the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls on Monday, winning the Mumbai Graduates constituency.

Parab received 44,784 votes, while Shelar got 18,772 votes.

A total of 67,644 voters had exercised their franchise in the polling on June 26.

Out of the total votes polled, 64,222 were held valid, and the quota for winning was 32,112 votes.

Parab polled 44,784 in the first preference voting and was declared elected.

Meanwhile, Congress today re-nominated MLC Pradnya Satav as its candidate for the July 12 biennial elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the MLA quota.

Tuesday (July 2) is the last date of filing nominations for elections to 11 seats in the Upper House of the state legislature.

These elections are being held to fill 11 seats that will become vacant on July 27, when sitting members retire.

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will vote in the polls.

Two of the 11 retiring MLCs are from the Congress. However, given the Congress's current strength in the assembly, the opposition party can elect only one candidate to the Upper House.

Pradnya Satav is the wife of late Congress MP Rajeev Satav. She was elected unopposed to the council in 2021 when a by-poll was necessitated after the death of sitting Congress MLC Sharad Ranpise.

The ruling BJP has fielded five candidates, including former state minister Pankaja Munde, who lost the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections from Beed in central Maharashtra.

The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), an ally of the Congress, has declared support to Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) candidate Jayant Patil.

With 14 vacancies in the 288-member assembly, the electoral college is 274, and the quota for the winning candidate is 23. The biennial elections are being held just ahead of assembly polls, which are due in October.