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Mahayuti’s Strong Position! 8 Out of 9 Legislative Council Seats Headed to Mahayuti
Mahayuti’s Strong Position! 8 Out of 9 Legislative Council Seats Headed to Mahayuti; Internal Tussle Within MVA—Congress, Uddhav Sena, and Sharad Pawar Factions Vie for a Single Seat
Mumbai, March 20, 2026: The Mahayuti alliance appears to hold a commanding position in the elections for 9 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, scheduled to take place in April. Based on the current numerical strength in the Legislative Assembly, the Mahayuti is likely to secure 8 seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is expected to win only 1 seat. A tug-of-war has already begun among the MVA's constituent parties—the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, the Congress, and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP—over who will secure this solitary seat.
The terms of office for these 9 members of the Legislative Council are set to expire in May 2026. While elections are expected for all 9 seats, the process is likely to prove challenging for the MVA due to the nature of secret ballot voting. A quota of approximately 29 votes is required to win a single seat.
The Seat-Sharing Calculus:
Mahayuti: 8 Seats (5 seats for the BJP; the remaining seats to be distributed between the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP).
MVA: 1 Seat (Uddhav Sena: 20 MLAs; Congress: 16; Sharad Pawar Faction: 10—totaling 46 MLAs. One seat is virtually assured, though support from smaller parties would be required to secure a second seat).
BJP: 5 Seats.
Congress: No seats currently allocated (Laying claim to the single MVA seat, but the Uddhav Sena remains insistent on securing it).
Sharad Pawar Faction: Low probability of securing a seat.
Vijay Wadettiwar, the Congress Legislature Party Leader, has stated, "The single seat from the MVA's quota must go to the Congress. We stood by Sharad Pawar during the Rajya Sabha elections; now, it is time to give the Congress an opportunity."
Within the MVA, there is ongoing discussion regarding sending Uddhav Thackeray back to the Legislative Council. Consequently, there is a possibility that the election could be uncontested. However, both the Congress and the Sharad Pawar faction are also staking their claims to the seat.
Given the Mahayuti's formidable strength (boasting over 230 MLAs in the Legislative Assembly), Deputy Chairperson Dr. Sitting members such as Neelam Gorhe may be given another opportunity. The Mahayuti has secured complete control over the state, and this election will serve as yet another affirmation of their dominance.
Key Points:
Maintaining unity for a single seat poses a challenge for the MVA.
There is a possibility of votes splitting due to the secret ballot system.
Similar to the Rajya Sabha elections, one seat is likely to go to the MVA; however, the Mahayuti holds the stronger position in this instance.
The election is expected to take place in April, with the new members likely to be elected by May.
These political dynamics serve as an indicator of the Mahayuti's growing strength in Maharashtra's politics, while for the MVA, this election will prove to be a test of their unity.
Mahayuti’s Strong Position! 8 Out of 9 Legislative Council Seats Headed to Mahayuti; Internal Tussle Within MVA—Congress, Uddhav Sena, and Sharad Pawar Factions Vie for a Single Seat
Mumbai, March 20, 2026: The Mahayuti alliance appears to hold a commanding position in the elections for 9 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, scheduled to take place in April. Based on the current numerical strength in the Legislative Assembly, the Mahayuti is likely to secure 8 seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is expected to win only 1 seat. A tug-of-war has already begun among the MVA's constituent parties—the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, the Congress, and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP—over who will secure this solitary seat.
The terms of office for these 9 members of the Legislative Council are set to expire in May 2026. While elections are expected for all 9 seats, the process is likely to prove challenging for the MVA due to the nature of secret ballot voting. A quota of approximately 29 votes is required to win a single seat.
The Seat-Sharing Calculus:
Mahayuti: 8 Seats (5 seats for the BJP; the remaining seats to be distributed between the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP).
MVA: 1 Seat (Uddhav Sena: 20 MLAs; Congress: 16; Sharad Pawar Faction: 10—totaling 46 MLAs. One seat is virtually assured, though support from smaller parties would be required to secure a second seat).
BJP: 5 Seats.
Congress: No seats currently allocated (Laying claim to the single MVA seat, but the Uddhav Sena remains insistent on securing it).
Sharad Pawar Faction: Low probability of securing a seat.
Vijay Wadettiwar, the Congress Legislature Party Leader, has stated, "The single seat from the MVA's quota must go to the Congress. We stood by Sharad Pawar during the Rajya Sabha elections; now, it is time to give the Congress an opportunity."
Within the MVA, there is ongoing discussion regarding sending Uddhav Thackeray back to the Legislative Council. Consequently, there is a possibility that the election could be uncontested. However, both the Congress and the Sharad Pawar faction are also staking their claims to the seat.
Given the Mahayuti's formidable strength (boasting over 230 MLAs in the Legislative Assembly), Deputy Chairperson Dr. Sitting members such as Neelam Gorhe may be given another opportunity. The Mahayuti has secured complete control over the state, and this election will serve as yet another affirmation of their dominance.
Key Points:
Maintaining unity for a single seat poses a challenge for the MVA.
There is a possibility of votes splitting due to the secret ballot system.
Similar to the Rajya Sabha elections, one seat is likely to go to the MVA; however, the Mahayuti holds the stronger position in this instance.
The election is expected to take place in April, with the new members likely to be elected by May.
These political dynamics serve as an indicator of the Mahayuti's growing strength in Maharashtra's politics, while for the MVA, this election will prove to be a test of their unity.
Mumbai, March 20, 2026: The Mahayuti alliance appears to hold a commanding position in the elections for 9 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, scheduled to take place in April. Based on the current numerical strength in the Legislative Assembly, the Mahayuti is likely to secure 8 seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is expected to win only 1 seat. A tug-of-war has already begun among the MVA's constituent parties—the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, the Congress, and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP—over who will secure this solitary seat.
The terms of office for these 9 members of the Legislative Council are set to expire in May 2026. While elections are expected for all 9 seats, the process is likely to prove challenging for the MVA due to the nature of secret ballot voting. A quota of approximately 29 votes is required to win a single seat.
The Seat-Sharing Calculus:
Mahayuti: 8 Seats (5 seats for the BJP; the remaining seats to be distributed between the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP).
MVA: 1 Seat (Uddhav Sena: 20 MLAs; Congress: 16; Sharad Pawar Faction: 10—totaling 46 MLAs. One seat is virtually assured, though support from smaller parties would be required to secure a second seat).
BJP: 5 Seats.
Congress: No seats currently allocated (Laying claim to the single MVA seat, but the Uddhav Sena remains insistent on securing it).
Sharad Pawar Faction: Low probability of securing a seat.
Vijay Wadettiwar, the Congress Legislature Party Leader, has stated, "The single seat from the MVA's quota must go to the Congress. We stood by Sharad Pawar during the Rajya Sabha elections; now, it is time to give the Congress an opportunity."
Within the MVA, there is ongoing discussion regarding sending Uddhav Thackeray back to the Legislative Council. Consequently, there is a possibility that the election could be uncontested. However, both the Congress and the Sharad Pawar faction are also staking their claims to the seat.
Given the Mahayuti's formidable strength (boasting over 230 MLAs in the Legislative Assembly), Deputy Chairperson Dr. Sitting members such as Neelam Gorhe may be given another opportunity. The Mahayuti has secured complete control over the state, and this election will serve as yet another affirmation of their dominance.
Key Points:
Maintaining unity for a single seat poses a challenge for the MVA.
There is a possibility of votes splitting due to the secret ballot system.
Similar to the Rajya Sabha elections, one seat is likely to go to the MVA; however, the Mahayuti holds the stronger position in this instance.
The election is expected to take place in April, with the new members likely to be elected by May.
These political dynamics serve as an indicator of the Mahayuti's growing strength in Maharashtra's politics, while for the MVA, this election will prove to be a test of their unity.
