Nagpur, October 29, 2026: Congress candidate Abhijeet Wanjari has defeated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sudhakar Kohale in the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC). Wanjari won by 3,271 votes, retaining the seat after a closely fought contest that saw the lead change during an extended counting process.
Wanjari secured 67,231 votes, while Kohale received 63,960 votes. The counting began on Tuesday morning and concluded in the early hours of Thursday, with preference votes proving decisive in determining the winner.
The result is a setback for the BJP in Nagpur, the home turf of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Both leaders had campaigned extensively for Kohale.
Nagpur MLC Election Result 2026: Vote Count
The final tally confirmed Wanjari’s victory after several rounds of counting.
- Abhijeet Wanjari (Congress): 67,231 votes
- Sudhakar Kohale (BJP): 63,960 votes
- Winning margin: 3,271 votes
Independent candidate Nitesh Karale also received a significant number of votes, making the contest more competitive.
BJP Takes an Early Lead During Counting
The Nagpur Graduates’ constituency election remained closely contested throughout the counting process. Kohale moved ahead after the second round of first-preference vote counting on Wednesday.
At that stage, the BJP candidate had secured 60,924 votes, compared with Wanjari’s 56,630. Independent candidate Nitesh Karale had received 24,249 votes.
However, neither leading candidate reached the required quota to secure victory through first-preference votes alone. The counting therefore proceeded to subsequent preference-vote rounds.
Wanjari gained ground during the elimination rounds and eventually overtook Kohale to secure the seat. The final result came after more than 40 hours of counting.
Congress Retains Nagpur Graduates’ Constituency
The victory allows Congress to retain the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Wanjari had also won the previous election, defeating BJP candidate Sandip Joshi.
The constituency has long held political significance. Gadkari represented the Nagpur graduates’ seat for several terms before entering national politics.
The BJP’s defeat despite an intensive campaign has drawn attention because of Nagpur’s importance to the party’s political leadership in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra MLC Election Results: MVA Wins Three Seats
The Nagpur result was part of the biennial elections held for five Maharashtra Legislative Council constituencies on October 23, 2026.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won three of the five seats, while the ruling Mahayuti alliance secured two.
The BJP won the Pune Teachers’ constituency, while its ally Shiv Sena secured the Amravati Teachers’ seat. The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) won the Pune Graduates’ and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates’ constituencies.
Congress’ victory in Nagpur completed the opposition alliance’s three-seat tally.
Why the Nagpur Result Matters
The outcome is politically significant because Nagpur is closely associated with senior BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Nitin Gadkari. The result provides a setback for the party in a constituency where its leadership had invested considerable campaigning effort.
At the same time, elections to graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies involve a specific electorate and a preference-based counting process. Their outcomes should not automatically be interpreted as a direct prediction of results in general elections.
For Congress, retaining the seat strengthens its position in the Maharashtra Legislative Council and gives the party a notable victory in a closely watched contest.
Conclusion
Abhijeet Wanjari’s victory over Sudhakar Kohale marks a closely fought Congress win in the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency. Despite trailing during an important stage of counting, Wanjari recovered through subsequent preference rounds to win by 3,271 votes.
The result helped the Maha Vikas Aghadi secure three of the five Maharashtra MLC seats contested in October 2026, while the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance won two.
The Nagpur outcome is likely to remain a key talking point in Maharashtra politics, particularly given the constituency’s association with senior BJP leaders.
