Congress' Abhijit Wanjari wins Nagpur Graduates' MLC seat in RSS heartland
Synopsis
Congress candidate Abhijit Wanjari has beaten the BJP in Nagpur — the RSS's own headquarters city and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's home turf — making it the party's only win across 28 MLC seats contested in four states. The result is a rare symbolic puncture in BJP's Maharashtra fortress, even as the BJP claims overall dominance in the broader MLC count.
Key Takeaways
Abhijit Govindrao Wanjari (Congress) won the Nagpur Graduates' MLC seat on 29 October 2026 by 3,271 votes .
Wanjari defeated BJP's Sudhakar Kohle in a constituency considered an RSS stronghold and home city of CM Devendra Fadnavis .
The win is Congress's sole victory across 28 Legislative Council seats contested in Karnataka , Bihar , Uttar Pradesh , and Maharashtra .
Wanjari called for a return to ballot papers , citing growing public distrust of EVMs — even as he won via the same system.
BJP's Kohle maintained that his party performed well overall in the MLC elections despite the Nagpur loss.
Abhijit Govindrao Wanjari of the Indian National Congress on 29 October 2026 clinched the Nagpur Graduates' constituency seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sudhakar Kohle by a margin of 3,271 votes after a prolonged counting process. The win stands as the Congress party's sole victory across 28 Legislative Council seats contested in four states — Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Why This Victory Carries Outsized Significance
The result is particularly striking because Nagpur is widely regarded as a stronghold of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), whose national headquarters is located in the city. Nagpur also falls within the Lok Sabha constituency of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and is the home city of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Winning a graduate-constituency seat in this ideological heartland against the BJP is a symbolic — and organisationally significant — outcome for the Congress.
What Wanjari Said About His Win
Wanjari attributed the mandate to six years of sustained grassroots work rather than electoral momentum. 'I was very confident about my win. I have done significant work in the past six years, so I knew that the voters were with me. Our party and allies worked with me. People have rewarded me for the development work carried out by us,' he said after the result.
He drew a pointed contrast with campaign optics, adding: 'Just gathering a crowd does not bring votes. However, we have worked for the public, for development, and on that basis, I contested this election and subsequently won.'
EVM Controversy Raised by the Winner
Despite his own victory, Wanjari raised concerns over growing voter scepticism around Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). 'People have now started doubting the EVMs. They feel that their votes are going to the wrong person. That is why the elections should be held through ballot papers. This practice has been followed by several developed nations too,' he said. The remarks are notable given that Wanjari himself won using the same EVM-based system — a contradiction that critics and supporters alike are likely to debate.
BJP's Response and the Broader MLC Picture
Defeated BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohle acknowledged the loss but maintained that the BJP had performed well across the broader MLC election results. 'When we look at the bigger picture, the BJP has won these elections. There was no shortcoming in the election campaign. Our Chief Minister and other top leaders campaigned by going to every booth. I thank them for this,' Kohle said.
The BJP's assertion of overall dominance is backed by the numbers — the Congress secured just one of the 28 seats up for grabs. Yet for a party looking to rebuild grassroots credibility in Maharashtra, opening an account in Nagpur carries a symbolism that goes beyond a single seat count.
What Comes Next
Wanjari's return to the Legislative Council will be closely watched as the Congress looks to consolidate its presence in a state where it operates within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition framework. The outcome in Nagpur Graduates' is likely to fuel renewed debate around EVM reform, with opposition parties across several states already pressing for a return to ballot papers ahead of future electoral cycles.
Point of View
But Congress winning specifically in Nagpur — the ideological nerve centre of the BJP's parent organisation and the sitting Chief Minister's home ground — makes this result disproportionately newsworthy. Wanjari's EVM remarks are the story's sharpest edge: a winning candidate calling for a return to ballot papers creates an uncomfortable paradox that the opposition will amplify and the BJP will exploit in equal measure. More broadly, graduate-constituency seats have historically tracked educated, urban opinion — a demographic both national parties are courting hard heading into the next Maharashtra assembly cycle. Watch this space.
NationPress
29 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Abhijit Wanjari and what did he win?
Abhijit Govindrao Wanjari is a Congress politician who won the Nagpur Graduates' seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections on 29 October 2026, defeating BJP's Sudhakar Kohle by 3,271 votes. It is the Congress party's only win across 28 MLC seats contested simultaneously in Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Why is the Nagpur Graduates' MLC win significant for Congress?
Nagpur is the national headquarters of the RSS and the home city of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, making it one of the BJP's most symbolically important strongholds. Winning a seat here — even a single one — carries outsized political and psychological value for an opposition party seeking to rebuild in Maharashtra.
What did Abhijit Wanjari say about EVMs after his victory?
Wanjari said voters had begun doubting Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), claiming people felt their votes were being counted for the wrong candidate. He called for a return to ballot papers, noting that several developed countries follow that practice — a position he took despite having won the election through the existing EVM-based system.
How did the BJP respond to the loss in Nagpur?
Defeated BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohle acknowledged the result but argued that his party had performed well in the broader MLC elections across all four states. He credited active participation from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other senior leaders in the campaign and said there was no shortcoming in the BJP's election effort.
Which states held MLC elections alongside Maharashtra?
Legislative Council elections for 28 seats were held across four states — Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The Congress secured only the Nagpur Graduates' seat in Maharashtra, with the BJP claiming dominance in the overall tally.
