As expected in the multi-cornered fight, one in 10 elected candidates in Maharashtra won their seats with slender margins. The margin of win for 26 out of the 288 candidates was less than 3,000 votes. These candidates are from across parties, reveal statistics provided by the Election Commission.
The close contests hurt the outcomes of NCP and Congress MLAs more than others, with many sitting MLAs losing the seats they had retained for years. The NCP and Congress together polled more votes that the winning candidates in many seats across Maharashtra.
Sitting NCP MLAs of Anushaktinagar and Belapur, Nawab Malik and Ganesh Naik, for instance, lost their seats by merely 1,007 and 1,491 votes. Malik polled 38,959 votes and the Congress candidate in the fray, Jagannath Madhulkar, polled more than 17,600 votes. They together polled over 57,000 votes, while winner Tukaram Kate polled only 39,966 votes.
Naik polled more than 53,800 votes and the Congress candidate in the fray, Namdeo Bhagat, polled 16,600 votes. Manda Mhatre of Shiv Sena emerged as the winner by getting 55,316 votes, which is approximately 15,000 less than Congress and NCP put together.
Two sitting MLAs of Congress, Madhukar Chavan (Byculla) and Kripashankar Singh (Kalina), lost their seats by less than 1,400 votes. Chavan lost his seat to a newcomer, advocate Waris Pathan, who contested from the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen, by just 1,357.
Palghar's stalwart and Congress' sitting MLA Rajendra Gavit lost his seat by 515 votes to Sena's Krushna Arjun Ghoda. Jalna, Kalyan East, Palghar, Karvir, Karmala, Shahada, Shahuwadi, Uran, Deoli, Dhamangaon Railway seats also witnessed a tough contest, with winners getting the lead of less than 1,000 votes. Most of them were trailing throughout the day and were expected to lose the contest.
The most delicate win was for NCP state chief Sunil Tatkare's nephew Avdhoot, who managed to win his uncle's seat by only 77 votes. This was followed by Sena candidate of Karmala-Narayan Patil, who won by 257 votes, defeating Rashmee Bagal of NCP. Congress sitting MLA from Wadala Kalidas Kolambkar had the least winning margin in Mumbai. His opponent from the BJP, Mihir Kotecha, lost only by 800 votes. Arjun Khotkar of Sena won Jalna seat by 296 votes, defeating Congress's K Gorantyal.
Observers blame it on too many candidates in the fray. "Due to break-up of alliances, there were at least four candidates from four major parties, which led to severe division of votes, affecting the prospects of defenders the most," said an observer.
Minimum margin
In Maharashtra: Avdhoot Tatkare (NCP) from Shrivardhan. He polled 61,038 votes and won by 77
In Mumbai: Kalidas Kolambkar (INC) from Wadala. He polled 38,540 votes and won by 800
Maximum margin
In Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar (NCP) from Baramati. He polled 1,50,588 votes, defeating BJP's Balasaheb Gawde by 89,791
In Mumbai: Vinod Twade (BJP) from Borivli. He polled 1,08,278 votes, defeating Sena's Uttamprakash Agarwal by 79,267
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