Governance
Mahayuti MLC Rout: BJP Says The Real Rival Was Its Ally
The Take
BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban on Maharashtra's council polls: had the Shiv Sena followed "the alliance dharma", the Mahayuti "would have won all five seats". The Mahayuti's actual score: two of five. Nagpur Graduates', in Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's home city: Congress, by 3,271 votes. The allies' next opponent, by the quotes: each other.
The Wire
The MVA won three of Maharashtra's five Legislative Council graduates' and teachers' seats, including Congress's Abhijit Wanjari in Nagpur, the Free Press Journal reported. BJP leaders publicly blamed ally Shiv Sena (Shinde) for the defeats.
Why it matters
Maharashtra's ruling alliance lost most seats in an educated-voter poll and turned on itself the next day.
The receipts
Source: Free Press Journal