Congress Confronts Cross-Voting Crisis in Maharashtra Legislative Council Elections

Mumbai, 16th July 2024: The Congress, which had a strong showing in Maharashtra during the Lok Sabha elections, faced setbacks in the recent elections for 11 Members of the Legislative Council (MLC).

Despite Congress candidate Pradnya Satav winning comfortably with first-preference votes, there were reports of cross-voting by some Congress MLAs against party directives. This resulted in the defeat of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate Jayant Patil from the Farmers and Peasants’ Party, allowing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) Mahayuti coalition, which lacked sufficient numbers to secure their ninth candidate, to gain an advantage.

This situation echoes the 2022 elections, where Congress candidate Chandrakant Handore, despite leading in first-preference votes, lost the MLC election, while Bhai Jagtap, the second-preference candidate, secured additional votes and emerged victorious. Following the 2022 incident, despite the state leadership submitting a report to the Congress high command, no action was taken against the errant MLAs.

During the recent MLC elections, there were concerns about potential cross-voting, with hints from unconfirmed reports suggesting such actions might occur, benefiting the ruling alliance. However, these warnings were reportedly overlooked by MVA leaders, particularly within the Congress ranks, resulting in cross-voting.

On the same evening, state Congress chief Nana Patole asserted, “Those involved in cross-voting will face consequences, and strict action will be taken.”

Sources within the Congress reveal that many MLAs, who adhered to party instructions, have expressed dismay over the lack of action against those who engaged in cross-voting. Some have demanded immediate expulsion of these MLAs for violating party discipline.

“The Lok Sabha elections demonstrated public support for us (Congress Party), but some of our MLAs betrayed that trust. We have identified those involved in cross-voting, and there will be consequences. The state leadership has reported these findings to the Congress high command,” stated Vijay Waddetiwar, Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, on X.

Regarding potential disciplinary measures, when the Congress considers actions against its MPs or MLAs, a committee typically sends notices to the concerned leaders for their response. The committee then recommends appropriate actions to the Congress president.

Insiders suggest that Patole advocates swift action without waiting for committee deliberations, citing the already submitted detailed report by state leadership identifying the cross-voters, some of whom were involved in similar actions during the 2022 MLC polls.

There is ongoing debate within the Maharashtra Congress regarding the timing of these actions. Some argue against immediate measures, fearing repercussions on the upcoming state elections despite the positive momentum from the Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, some MLAs propose postponing action until after the state elections to prevent defections. The state leadership now awaits guidance from the Congress high command on how to proceed.