Nagpur, Oct 29 (IANS) As Congress registered a victory in the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, the party called it a “victory for democracy and the Constitution”.

This is the second consecutive victory for Congress in the Nagpur Division Graduates’ seat, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a region widely regarded as a stronghold of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Congress candidate Abhijit Govindrao Wanjarri defeated his BJP rival, Sudhakar Kohle, by a margin of 3,271 votes after a prolonged counting process.

In total, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won three out of the five MLC seats, while BJP-led MahaYuti was limited to two.

Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal said that the “Modi-Fadnavis’s illusionary bubble has burst”, calling the MVA’s win in MLC polls a “resounding victory”.

Taking to X, Sapkal said, “In the Nagpur Graduates constituency, Congress MVA candidate Abhijeet Wanjarri has inflicted a crushing defeat on the BJP candidate. In the city of RSS headquarters, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the Congress party has defeated the BJP for the second consecutive time.”

“Out of the 5 seats in the Legislative Council, the Maha Vikas Aghadi has won three seats, delivering a crushing blow to the BJP Mahayuti. Despite having power, money, and all resources, the BJP has suffered a defeat,” he added.

Maharashtra Congress in-charge Sirivella Prasad also hailed the victory and said that the public’s mandate cannot be defeated by “power or money”.

Taking to X, Prasad said, “Maha Vikas Aghadi wins 3 of 5 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections! Congress candidate Abhijeet Wanjari’s victory in Nagpur, the BJP’s political stronghold, sends a strong message: People’s mandate cannot be defeated by power or money.”

“A victory for democracy, the Constitution, and the people’s voice! I congratulate the leadership of the Maharashtra Congress, all the leaders of the Nagpur Graduates’ Constituency and all party workers and our alliance partners on this achievement,” he added.

Nagpur is also the headquarters of the RSS, an organisation with a strong ideological and organisational presence in the region.

With this win, the Congress opened its account in the by-elections held for 28 Legislative Council seats across four states — Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

–IANS

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