The Mahayuti (NDA) recorded a thumping and united performance in the Legislative Council elections on Friday by winning all nine candidates. The winners got more votes than expected, indicating cross-voting from the Opposition benches. The new MLCs included five from the Bharatiya Janata Party and two each from Shiv Sena (Shinde) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar). THE MVA had three contestants, but only the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) could win one each, and the third candidate lost.

The contest was between 12 candidates for 11 seats. Members of the Legislative Assembly voted in these elections. A quota of 23 first-preference votes was needed for winning. NDA’s eight won in the first round itself. Two MVA candidates, Milind Narvekar, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Jayant Patil (PWP), were locked for the 11th slot. Narvekar had 22 first-preference votes, but the counting shifted to other preferences because of his incomplete quota. Uddhav Thackeray’s close associate won as the second-preference votes were counted.