- BJP loses Nagpur MLC seat despite top leadership.
- Congress candidate Abhijit Wanjari secures victory.
- Over 15,000 invalid votes questioned election outcome in Nagpur.
The BJP’s defeat in the Nagpur Division Graduates’ Constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections has raised questions about the party’s organisational strength, candidate selection and internal coordination. Despite an extensive campaign led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the BJP failed to reclaim a seat that it had dominated for decades.
The results of the MLC elections across 28 constituencies in four states delivered mixed outcomes for the BJP and the Samajwadi Party and Congress.
While the Congress suffered a major setback overall, but it managed to win only one seat in Nagpur. Although, the victory is particularly significant as it came at the expense of the BJP in a constituency the party had dominated for decades.
Congress candidate and sitting MLC Abhijit Wanjari defeated his nearest BJP rival, Sudhakar Kohale, by 3,271 votes to retain the Nagpur Division Graduates’ Constituency.
The constituency had previously been represented by Gadkari for several terms. In 2020, Wanjari defeated BJP leader Sandip Joshi to win the seat. By retaining it in 2026, the Congress has once again prevented the BJP from reclaiming a constituency that was long considered one of its strongholds.
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So, what went wrong for the BJP in Nagpur despite the involvement of its top leadership? Here are two key factors.
Rebellion by Nitin Gadkari’s Close Aide
One of the factors that may have contributed to the BJP’s defeat was internal dissent over candidate selection.
The BJP denied a ticket to former MLC Anil Sole, who is considered close to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Following the decision, Sole entered the electoral fray as an independent candidate, creating the possibility of a division in the BJP’s traditional support base.
Recognising the potential impact of the rebellion, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited Sole’s residence in an attempt to resolve the differences and persuade him to withdraw from the contest. Following the intervention, Sole halted his election campaign.
More Than 15,000 Votes Declared Invalid
Another significant factor in the Nagpur election was the large number of invalid votes, with more than 15,000 ballot papers reportedly declared invalid.
Of these, approximately 9,000 ballot papers had the number '2' marked against Kohale’s name, without any preference being indicated for the remaining 37 candidates. Such a large number of invalid votes raises questions about whether voters made errors while marking their preferences or whether the pattern reflected dissatisfaction with the candidates in the fray.
Following the announcement of the Nagpur MLC election results, BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale said that he would appeal against the votes declared invalid.
The unusually high number of invalid votes is particularly noteworthy given the narrow margin of victory.
A Prestigious Seat Slips Away from BJP Again
Nagpur has historically been one of the BJP’s most prestigious constituencies. Nitin Gadkari represented the Graduates’ Constituency from 1990 to 2014, making the party’s repeated inability to reclaim the seat politically significant.
| Year | Winning Candidate | Political Party | Election Outcome |
| 2026 | Abhijit Wanjari | Indian National Congress (INC) | Retained the seat, defeating Sudhakar Kohale (BJP) by 3,271 votes. |
| 2020 | Abhijit Wanjari | Indian National Congress (INC) | Won the seat for the first time, defeating Sandip Joshi (BJP). |
| 2014 | Anil Sole | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) | Won the seat following Nitin Gadkari's transition to Lok Sabha politics. |
| 2008 | Nitin Gadkari | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) | Retained the seat for a fourth consecutive full term. |
| 2002 | Nitin Gadkari | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) | Successfully re-elected to the seat. |
Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who was in charge of the BJP’s election campaign, took responsibility for the defeat. Acknowledging the setback, he said, “We will ensure that we win this seat in the next election.”
The result has also brought the BJP’s candidate selection process under scrutiny. The denial of a ticket to a senior leader like Anil Sole, followed by his decision to contest as an independent candidate, raises questions about whether the party adequately assessed internal sentiment before finalising its nominee.
However, the MLC election results should not be viewed as a direct indication of the outcome of future Assembly elections. Elections to the Legislative Council's Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies involve a relatively limited electorate comprising registered graduates and teachers. Whereas, Assembly elections are decided by a much broader electorate.