Gokul Gite, Contested as Independent, Defeats Shiv Sena Candidate in Maharashtra Council Polls

In the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections for the Nashik district local governing body constituency, independent candidate Gokul Gite defeated the official candidate of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, Narendra Darade. The results, announced on Monday, June 19, showed Gite securing 357 votes against Darade's 248, a margin of 109 votes.

The election was part of the biennial polls for 11 seats in the state legislature's Upper House. The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sunetra Pawar, had already secured unopposed victories in six of the 17 originally notified seats. Voting was held only for the remaining 11 constituencies.

Gite's candidature had sparked controversy in the Nashik constituency. Originally a BJP member, he announced his intention to contest as an independent against Darade, the ruling alliance's official nominee. Senior Mahayuti leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and ministers Girish Mahajan and Uday Samant, intervened to resolve the dispute. Following discussions, Gite halted his personal campaign, but his name remained on the ballot as the withdrawal deadline had passed. On Monday, Gite clarified that he only suspended his personal campaign while his supporters continued canvassing on his behalf.

Shinde, along with several elected representatives, had campaigned for Darade in the constituency. A visibly upset Darade left the counting centre after it became clear that a majority of local representatives had voted in favour of Gite.

Among those elected unopposed earlier were BJP nominees Arun Lakhani (Wardha-Chandrapur-Gadchiroli) and Prajakt Tanpure (Ahilyanagar); NCP nominees Vikram Kakade (Pune) and Aniket Tatkare (Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg); and Shiv Sena candidates Ravindra Phatak (Thane) and Dushyant Chaturvedi (Yavatmal). Tanpure had joined the BJP shortly before filing his nomination; he is a nephew of NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil and had served as a minister in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

The overall victory for the Mahayuti alliance in 16 out of 17 seats underscores its continued political dominance in the state, despite occasional internal dissent and challenges from rebel candidates.