Congress Holds Nagpur Graduate Seat, Defeating BJP Candidate by 3,271 Votes

Congress candidate Abhijeet Wanjari retained the Nagpur Division Graduates’ council seat, beating BJP contender Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes. ## What Happened Counting began on October 27 after the October 23 poll and finished in the early hours of October 29. Wanjari ended with 67,231 votes while Kohale secured 63,960. In the second round of first‑preference counting on October 28, Kohale led by 4,294 votes, tallying 60,924 against Wanjari’s 56,630; independent Nitesh Karale drew 24,249. Because no candidate reached the required quota, second‑preference votes were counted, producing the final totals. ## Reaction The loss is described as a major setback for the BJP in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, both of whom campaigned for Kohale. A senior poll official confirmed the final numbers. The seat had long been held by Gadkari, and Wanjari had previously defeated BJP’s Sandip Joshi in the last election. Across the country, the BJP won 13 of the 28 legislative‑council seats contested in four states, while Congress managed only this single victory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi joked on X about guessing Congress’s seat count. ## Context The Nagpur Division Graduate constituency is one of the few graduate‑type seats in Maharashtra’s legislative council, where a small, educated electorate votes by ballot paper, and results can swing on second‑preference transfers.