Congress sweeps RSS bastion in Nagpur: Abhijit Wanjarri defeats BJPs Sudhakar Kohle by over 3,000 votes in MLC polls

PTC News Desk: The Congress has won the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council for the second time in a row, defeating the BJP in a region considered a stronghold of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Congress candidate Abhijit Govindrao Wanjarri defeated BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohle by 3,271 votes after a lengthy counting process. The victory is notable because Nagpur is the headquarters of the RSS, the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

With this win, the Congress has opened its account in the ongoing Legislative Council elections covering 28 seats across Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Wanjarri, a lawyer and educationist, first won the Nagpur Graduates’ constituency in 2020. His latest victory gives him a second consecutive term in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. He contested as a Congress candidate with the support of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar).

After the results were announced, Congress workers raised slogans against the BJP. Tensions also rose outside the Mankapur Indoor Stadium, where BJP and Congress workers clashed during the counting process. Police intervened to bring the situation under control. Wanjarri credited the victory to unity within the Congress and the MVA. He also said several organisations had supported his campaign, including 48 organisations mentioned in his campaign material.

“This victory belongs to the workers and leaders of those very organisations,” he said.

A total of 38 candidates contested the Nagpur Graduates’ constituency election, although the main contest was between Wanjarri and BJP nominee Sudhakar Kohle.

MVA claims victory in three of five Maharashtra seats

The Nagpur result came as elections were held for five seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. According to claims made by the parties, the MVA won three seats, while the BJP and Shiv Sena secured one seat each. The Election Commission’s formal announcement was still awaited when the initial reports appeared.

The Congress had suffered setbacks in other contests, including the four Legislative Council seats in Karnataka, where it lost despite being in power in the state. Wanjarri’s victory therefore provided a significant boost to the party in Maharashtra.

Who is Abhijit Wanjarri?

Abhijit Wanjarri is a lawyer and educationist who has been associated with the Congress for several years. He won the Nagpur Graduates’ constituency for the first time in 2020, defeating the BJP in a seat widely regarded as part of its stronghold. His second consecutive victory means the Congress has retained the constituency. The result is also politically significant because Nagpur is closely associated with senior BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Nitin Gadkari.