23 June,2026 01:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has significantly strengthened its position in the Maharashtra Legislative Council following the latest round of elections, moving closer to securing a standalone majority in the upper house of the state legislature.
The party currently holds 35 seats in the 73-member active House, making it the single largest political force in the Legislative Council and giving the ruling alliance a stronger foothold in legislative proceedings.
The latest results have further consolidated the position of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance at a time when the Opposition is grappling with internal differences over the post of Leader of the Opposition (LoP).
The Maharashtra Legislative Council has a sanctioned strength of 78 members, with a simple majority requiring 39 seats.
Political observers note that the BJP is now within touching distance of that figure on its own.
Of the 12 seats that are traditionally filled through nominations by the Governor, seven have already been occupied, while five remain vacant. Discussions within the ruling Mahayuti alliance indicate that the BJP is likely to secure three of the remaining seats, while one seat each could go to the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Nationalist Congress Party led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
If those appointments are finalised, the BJP's tally would rise from 35 to 38 seats, leaving it just one member short of an outright majority in the Council.
The party may receive another opportunity to strengthen its numbers later this year when biennial elections are held for five Graduate and Teacher constituencies.
Political analysts believe the BJP will seek to improve its tally further through these elections.
If the party wins at least three of the five seats, its strength in the Legislative Council would cross the 40-seat mark, giving it a standalone majority without relying on alliance partners.
Such an outcome would further strengthen the BJP's ability to push legislation through the upper house and reduce its dependence on coalition negotiations.
The Legislative Council has witnessed a significant increase in active membership over the past two months.
Earlier this year, the House had only 47 active members. However, the election of nine members by the state Assembly in May, followed by the election of 17 representatives from Local Authorities' constituencies, has increased the effective strength of the House to 73 members.
The recent polls also led to changes in party positions within the Council.
Independent candidate Gokul Gite, who won the Nashik Local Authorities' constituency election, has since joined the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, increasing the party's strength in the Council to 12 members.
The BJP already holds one of the most important positions in the Legislative Council through Chairman Ram Shinde.
Attention is now focused on the post of Deputy Chairperson, with a decision expected during the ongoing monsoon session.
Meanwhile reports suggest that Shiv Sena leader Dr Neelam Gorhe is likely to continue in the role, although an official announcement is awaited.
The appointments are expected to further reinforce the ruling alliance's control over the functioning of the upper house.
While the ruling alliance is consolidating its position, the Opposition is facing internal competition over leadership in the Council.
Both the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) have staked claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition, which remains vacant.
The dispute has highlighted differences within the Opposition bloc at a time when the ruling alliance is expanding its influence across state institutions.
Political observers believe a consensus on the position is unlikely to emerge immediately, and discussions are expected to continue during the ongoing legislative session.
With the BJP edging closer to a standalone majority and the Mahayuti alliance maintaining a comfortable advantage, the balance of power in the Maharashtra Legislative Council appears to be shifting further in favour of the ruling coalition.
