Rajya Sabha polls: Fadnavis announces 'victory' as all 3 BJP candidates win in Maharashtra

Devendra Fadnavis, the former Maharashtra chief minister and a top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, praised the party's victory in the Rajya Sabha elections in the state on Saturday, calling it a "happy moment."

“It’s a happy moment for us as all three BJP candidates have won,” said Fadnavis. He later highlighted the party’s share of the votes.

“Piyush Goyal and Anil Bonde have received 48 votes each. Our third candidate has received more votes than Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut,” BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis added. While Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi declared his victory and also confirmed the tally for the remaining candidates.

“I have won as well as Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut and NCP’s Praful Patel. I thank the MLAs. We are sad that the fourth candidate of (Maha Vikas Aghadi) Sanjay Pawar could not win,” said Imran Pratapgarhi.

The BJP had fielded Dr Anil Bonde, Piyush Goyal and Dhananjay Mahadik from the state. Interestingly, there were seven candidates in the fray for the six seats in the state.

On the other hand, the Congress party had fielded Imran Pratapgarhi for the polls while Praful Patel has been fielded from the NCP. Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut and Sanjay Pawar were given a run in the polls. 

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut said, “Election Commission made our one vote invalid. We objected to two votes but no action was taken on that. Election Commission favoured them (BJP)”

Maharashtra Rajya Sabha elections 

In Maharashtra, where polling was held for six seats, a candidate needed 42 votes to win. Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs, NCP 53, Congress 44 , BJP 106, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) three, Samajwadi party, AIMIM and Prahar Janshakti party two each, MNS, CPI(M), PWP, Swabhimani Party, Rashtriya Samaj Paksh, Jansurajya Shakti party, Krantikari Shetkari Party one each, and there are 13 independent legislators.

Union minister Piyush Goyal, Anil Bonde, Dhananjay Mahadik (BJP), Praful Patel (NCP), Sanjay Raut, and Sanjay Pawar (Shiv Sena), and Imran Pratapgarhi (Congress) were in the fray for the six seats. The contest was for the sixth seat - between BJP's Dhananjay Mahadik and Shiv Sena's Pawar.