The BJP's defeat in the Nagpur Graduates' constituency, considered one of its strongest political bastions and the home turf of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, has triggered introspection within the party and exposed cracks in the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

Congress candidate Abhijit Wanjarri won the seat for a second consecutive term, defeating the BJP's Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes. Wanjarri was the only Congress nominee to win the MLC elections held across 28 graduates' and teachers' constituencies in Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh on October 23.

“I used brains against BJP's might,” Wanjarri said after his victory.

The result has also brought the BJP's candidate selection under scrutiny. Former MLC Anil Sole, a close aide of Gadkari who was denied a ticket, contested as an Independent. He withdrew from active campaigning only after Fadnavis visited his residence to resolve the dispute. However, the extent to which Sole's rebellion affected Kohale's prospects remains unclear.

Invalid Votes, Rebellion Add To BJP's Nagpur Challenge

More than 15,000 votes were declared invalid in Nagpur. These included nearly 9,000 ballots allegedly marked with the number '2' against Kohale's name but without preferences being indicated for the other 37 candidates.

The high number of invalid votes raised questions over voter errors as well as possible discontent with the BJP's candidate selection. Kohale has said he would appeal against the invalid votes.

The Nagpur seat was particularly significant for the BJP. Gadkari represented the graduates' constituency from 1990 to 2014.

Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who was in charge of the campaign, accepted responsibility for the defeat and said the party would examine what went wrong.

“We tried hard and our party workers and leaders met the voters from the graduates’ constituency. However, there seem to have been some shortcomings. We will introspect to understand the reasons for the defeat,” Bawankule said on Thursday.

He added that the BJP would work to win the seat in the next election.

BJP To Review Mahayuti Partners' Role In Poll Defeats

Bawankule also indicated that the BJP would examine whether any of its Mahayuti allies had failed to support the alliance candidates.

The BJP had attached importance to both the Nagpur Graduates' and Pune seats and had planned extensively to secure victories, he said. Asked whether the Shiv Sena had failed to support the BJP in the elections, Bawankule said the party would review the role of every alliance partner instead of indulging in a blame game.

“Instead of a blame game, we will review which partner of the Mahayuti did not work in favour of the alliance candidate,” he said.

The BJP contested three seats in Maharashtra but won only the Pune Teachers' constituency, where its candidate Kaustubh Gawade defeated Shiv Sena rebel Sachin Sanap.

The allies had earlier clashed over seat-sharing in Pune, with the Shiv Sena backing rebels against BJP nominees. Bawankule said the party would identify those responsible for working against its candidates and take corrective measures.

“We'll track down who played spoilsport. Corrective measures will be taken,” he said.

A BJP member alleged that Shiv Sena workers campaigned against the party's candidate Smita Jadhav in the Pune Teachers' constituency, contributing to her defeat. The member said the Mahayuti could have won all five seats had its constituents contested unitedly.

The Shiv Sena, however, hit back. Its Pune unit chief Ravindra Dhangekar said the BJP should stop taking its alliance partners for granted, adding that the election verdict had served as a reality check for the party.

NCP-Sena Rift Also Comes To Fore In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The results also exposed differences within the Mahayuti in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates' constituency, where NCP (SP) candidate Pratapsinh Patil defeated the NCP's Satish Chavan.

Shiv Sena veteran Abdul Sattar admitted that he had backed the candidate fielded by Sharad Pawar's party instead of supporting his alliance partner's nominee. He attributed the decision to the NCP's candidate selection.

“This time, the candidate selection was wrong, so we did not campaign for him,” Sattar said, adding that educated voters were moving away from the alliance.

The NCP failed to win any of the seats it contested. Party chief Sunetra Pawar said every electoral outcome offered a lesson.

How The Maharashtra MLC Results Were Split

Polling for the Pune Graduates', Nagpur Graduates', Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates', Pune Teachers' and Amravati Teachers' constituencies was held on October 23. Counting began on October 27, and the results were declared on October 28.

The Congress won the Nagpur Graduates' seat, while the NCP (SP) secured the Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates' constituencies. The BJP won the Pune Teachers' seat, and the Shiv Sena bagged the Amravati Teachers' constituency.

The Mahayuti alliance comprises the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Sunetra Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party.