DNA TV Show: Ruling Mahayuti alliance wins 9 out of 11 seats

After sweeping the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls, winning nine out of 11 seats, the Mahayuti alliance leaders celebrated by showing the victory sign. Supporters of Pankaja Munde, the daughter of late senior leader Gopinath Munde, who was fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrated after her victory.

In today's DNA, Anant Tyagi discusses the ruling Mahayuti alliance wins 9 out of 11 seats.

In the biennial elections for the 11 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, all 274 MLAs cast ballots on Friday. Twelve contenders contested for the eleven seats in the state legislature's upper house, which determines the electoral college among the 274 existing members of the legislative assembly.

As the vote was being cast, incarcerated BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad came to Vidhan Bhavan with permission from the court. Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT), the opposition parties, however, objected to Gaikwad being allowed to cast a ballot. In response to the Congress party's letter, the chief election officer of Maharashtra was contacted by the election officer, who urged Gaikwad not to cast a ballot while he awaited his response.

Due to concerns about cross-voting and the fact that leaders of the Maha Vikas Agadi and Mahayuti parties met with their MLAs yesterday, the polls for the open seats are expected to come as a surprise. Speculation that nine of its MLAs might cross-vote for the Mahayuti candidates, who are led by the BJP, was refuted by the Congress on Friday. "Rumours are being pushed by the ruling parties. It is untrue in any way. The state opposition leader and Congress politician, Vijay Wadettiwar, declared that not a single MLA from the party would participate in cross-voting.