Bitter results for MVA in Maharashtra's sugar belt

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has suffered a significant rout in the sugarcane belt of western Maharashtra, as the ruling Mahayuti alliance bagged 53 of the 70 assembly seats in the region.

The Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the NCP, emerged as a formidable force, leaving the MVA with just 12 seats in the western Maharashtra region, comprising constituencies across Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, and Ahilyanagar districts.

The results of the November 20 state polls were announced on Saturday.

The Congress, which bagged 12 seats in the region in 2019, was the biggest loser this time as it managed to win only two seats - Palus-Kadegaon constituency in Sangli which Vishwajeet Kadam managed to retain by defeating BJP's Sangram Deshmukh by 30,064 votes and Shrirampur in Ahilyanagar where Hemant Ogale defeated Shiv Sena's Bhausaheb Kamble by 13,373 votes.

Congress bigwigs like Prithviraj Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat, Sangram Thopte faced defeats in their respective constituencies of Karad South in Satara, Sangamner in Ahilyanagar and Bhor in Pune district.

The opposition Shiv Sena-UBT also managed to win only two seats in the region as its candidate Babaji Kale defeated NCP's Dilip Mohite Patil in Khed-Alandi constituency in Pune district while Dilip Sopal defeated Shiv Sena's Rajendra Raut in Barshi constituency in Solapur.

Out of the total 10 seats won by Sharad Pawar's NCP-SP across the state, eight are in western Maharashtra: Bapusaheb Pathare (Vadgaon Sheri - Pune), Rohit Pawar (Karjat Jamkhed - Ahilyanagar), Narayan Patil (Karmala- Solapur), Abhijit Patil (Madha - Solapur), Raju Khare (Mohol - Solapur), Uttam Jankar (Malshiras), Jayant Patil (Islampur - Sangli) and Rohit Patil (Tasgaon - Sangli).

On the other side, most of the key leaders from the Mahayuti won their seats in the region.

In Baramati, NCP leader and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar defeated his nephew Yugendra Pawar of NCP (SP).

BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil won in Shirdi and his party colleague Chandrakant Patil bagged Kothrud seat in Pune.

Shivendraraje Bhosale of the BJP emerged victorious in Satara and party leader Subhash Deshmukh in Solapur South.

NCP leader Dilip Walse Patil won in Ambegaon seat in Pune district.