BJP, Shiv Sena Trade Blame Over MLC Poll Losses

The BJP and Shiv Sena have blamed each other for the defeats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections.

The BJP accused the Shiv Sena of failing to extend the expected support to its alliance partners in the elections.

The Shiv Sena countered that the BJP's candidate selection and internal discontent were responsible for the poor performance.

The public spat has exposed fresh cracks within the ruling alliance, giving the Opposition an opportunity to target the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.

The Mahayuti won two of the five teachers' and graduates' constituency seats, while the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi secured three.

The defeat in Nagpur, a BJP stronghold, proved particularly embarrassing for the ruling party.

BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban alleged that the Shinde-led party's last-minute backing for independent candidate Sachin Sanap in the Pune graduates' constituency undermined the alliance's unity.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Anand Paranjape rejected the allegations and shifted the blame to the BJP's candidate selection.

The controversy has also triggered a separate exchange over the state's leadership, with some leaders suggesting that Eknath Shinde should return as Chief Minister.

However, senior BJP minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule hit back, saying the people's mandate was in favour of Fadnavis.

The exchange of accusations has brought the alliance's internal differences into the open, with the MLC election results emerging as a fresh flashpoint between the BJP and the Shiv Sena ahead of upcoming political challenges.