Mahayuti Wins 16 of 17 MLC Seats, Rebel Upsets Nashik

The ruling Mahayuti alliance secured a commanding victory in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, winning 16 of the 17 seats contested, while a rebel candidate delivered a significant upset in the key Nashik constituency. The results, declared on Monday, June 22, 2026, are seen as a major political boost for the state's governing coalition.

Polling for the 17 seats was held on June 18, though six candidates from the Mahayuti alliance-comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena (Shinde), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar)-were elected unopposed before voting began. The BJP emerged as the biggest winner, securing 11 seats. The Shiv Sena (Shinde) won three seats, and the NCP won two.

The lone exception to the alliance's sweep was in Nashik, where independent candidate and BJP rebel Gokul Gite defeated the Mahayuti's official nominee, Shiv Sena's Narendra Darade. Gite secured 357 votes to Darade's 248, a winning margin of 109 votes. The contest had been contentious, with Gite alleging Darade used inappropriate language against him. Senior alliance leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, intervened...