Pratap Singh Patil of NCP (SP) secured a victory in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduate Constituency MLC election, defeating Satish Bhanudasrao Chavan by a margin of 18,124 votes, marking a significant win for the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition.

Pratap Singh Patil Secures MLC Election Victory

Following his victory in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Division Graduate Constituency MLC election, NCP (SP) leader Pratap Singh Patil credited the Maha Vikas Aghadi's immense effort and strength for securing his victory by a margin of 18,124 votes. Highlighting the coalition's unified groundwork and endurance through the gruelling electoral battle, Patil said, "The Maha Vikas Aghadi entered this election with immense effort and strength. The result is that today, we stand on the verge of victory.”

Patil noted that the counting process for the graduates' constituency stretched across a demanding 36 to 48 hours, stating that it is clearly an indicator of change. “Given that the counting process has now stretched to 36–48 hours, it is clearly an indicator of change. We have secured three seats, while the fourth was lost by a narrow margin," Patil told reporters here.

Election Results and Vote Breakdown

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) candidate Pratap Singh Patil has emerged victorious in the high-stakes Maharashtra Legislative Council elections from the Aurangabad Division Graduates' Constituency, securing the seat by a margin of 18,124 votes.

Earlier, Returning Officer G Sreekanth officially announced that of the 3,26,700 registered graduate voters, a total of 1,93,649 votes were polled, including postal ballots. After verification, 1,77,115 votes were found valid, while 16,540 votes were rejected as invalid, and 32 tendered votes were recorded. Patil secured 85,876 votes, surpassing Satish Bhanudasrao Chavan, who garnered 67,752 votes, leading the Returning Officer to formally declare Patil elected.

Political Implications and Future Focus

"This is the power of the graduate. Voters were taken for granted, but graduates placed their faith in democracy as their top priority and cast their votes accordingly. That is why we won," he said. He further termed the MLC results across the state as a clear indicator of political transition. "In the Marathwada region, we have only five MLAs and three MPs, and we received barely 12 to 15 days to campaign. Despite that, we won by such a massive margin. You can never take voters for granted in a democracy; they show their true verdict on polling day," he added.

When questioned about his victory celebrations, Patil noted that he prefers to focus on immediate governance and working for the constituency. "Even when I filed my nomination, I went with just five people. I am not going to hold grand celebrations. I will pay respects to the great icons and directly get to work for the welfare of the people. Patil also expressed his gratitude to the district administration, security personnel, and polling staff for conducting the prolonged counting and election process in a smooth, fair, and peaceful manner", he said.

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