Strength of parties nearly intact in poll

The strength of major political parties remained unchanged as results to the elections to seven of the eight seats of Maharashtra Legislative Council poured in on Wednesday evening from the local authorities constituencies.

The Congress won three seats, Shiv Sena two, while the NCP and the BJP has won one seat each and one seat was won by an Independent.

In Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s home town, Nagpur, BJP’s Girish Vyas was declared elected unopposed as there was no rival in the fray and the strongest of the opponent Congress preferred not to put up a candidate looking at the numbers.

Shiv Sena’s Ramdas Kadam, who is the state Environment Minister and Congress leader Ashok alias Bhai Jagtap (bagging 6,400) emerged victorious in Mumbai. Jagtap was facing a stiff challenge from the former NCP leader and Independent candidate Prasad Lad.

In Dhule-Nandurbar, sitting Congress MLC Amrishbhai Patel, who hails from the family of Sardar Patel, retained his seat.