Congress Wins Nagpur MLC Seat for Second Time, Deals Setback to BJP in RSS Stronghold

October 29, 2026

Nagpur: The Congress has won the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections for the second consecutive time, defeating the BJP in a region widely regarded as a stronghold of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Congress candidate Abhijit Govindrao Wanjarri defeated BJP rival Sudhakar Kohle by 3,271 votes after a prolonged counting process. The victory marks an important win for the Congress in Nagpur, where the BJP and the RSS have a strong political and organisational presence.

Speaking to reporters after the result, Wanjarri said the BJP had made a major effort to win the election, but voters ultimately supported the Congress.

“The way the BJP put its all into these elections; big leaders of the BJP were in Nagpur. However, voters were with us,” he said.

Congress Wins in Nagpur, Home City of Devendra Fadnavis

The result has drawn attention because Nagpur is the home city of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The city also falls within the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Nagpur is the headquarters of the RSS, which has a longstanding ideological and organisational presence in the region. The Congress victory in the graduates’ constituency therefore carries significance beyond the winning margin.

Wanjarri contested the election with the backing of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), an alliance comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar).

Congress Opens Its Account in MLC By-Elections

The Nagpur victory gave the Congress its first win in the by-elections held for 28 Legislative Council seats across Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Congress leaders welcomed the result, describing it as a setback for the BJP in its stronghold.

Congress leader Harsh Vardhan Sapkal reacted to the victory in a post on X, saying, “The balloon of illusion has burst; hatred has been defeated.”

The result gives the Congress a boost as political parties assess the outcome of the Legislative Council elections across the four states.