Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rebel Gokul Gite pulled off a massive upset in the Nashik Legislative Council (MLC) elections by defeating official Mahayuti (Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena) candidate Narendra Darade. Running as an independent, Gite secured 357 votes against Darade’s 248, becoming the sole blemish in an otherwise dominant Mahayuti sweep across the state.
Notwithstanding intense intervention and pressure from senior Mahayuti leadership, Gite stayed in the fray after initial disputes regarding the official nomination. While the broader alliance including the BJP and its allies swept 16 of the 17 seats in the biennial polls, this localized rebellion created a major political shocker.
News Edit KV Raman
