MLC polls: Congress retains Nagpur Graduates’ seat; why Abhijit Wanjarri's win is significant

Congress candidate Abhijit Wanjarri defeated BJP nominee Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes to retain the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Counting continued for more than 40 hours before the result was declared, securing Wanjarri another six-year term.

The victory assumes significance as it puts the Congress ahead in a constituency closely associated with the BJP's political base. Nagpur is the home city of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who represents the city in the Lok Sabha. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also has its headquarters there. The BJP had held the graduates’ seat for nearly six decades before Wanjarri won it in 2020.

Wanjarri's political roots and education

Wanjarri belongs to a political family. His father, Govindrao Vanjari, represented South Nagpur in the Maharashtra Assembly for two terms. Abhijit studied at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, earning a BA and a law degree. He later served on the university's Senate and Management Council.

His association with politics began in student organisations. Between 1998 and 2002, he served as Maharashtra general secretary of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI). He subsequently became a secretary of the state Youth Congress.

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Wanjarri later held positions in the Nagpur District Congress Committee. His party assignments also took him to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where he worked as an election observer.

Beyond his political work, Wanjarri is secretary of Amar Seva Mandal, which runs colleges across Vidarbha. He also heads the Govind Urban Credit Co-operative Society.

Wanjarri credits grassroots outreach for re-election

Speaking to ANI after his win, Wanjarri attributed his re-election to regular contact with graduates, students and young people. He said he had spent the past six years addressing issues affecting graduates and organising programmes for them.

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"Six years ago, when I was first elected from the Graduates' Constituency, much of the work that should have been done there remained incomplete. Graduates have a separate constituency, and I made a concerted effort to work in a manner befitting it. I maintained close contact with people and engaged with youth, students and scholars through various programmes. This proved beneficial in the constituency and during the election, ultimately leading to my re-election," he said.

‘48 organisations backed Congress campaign’

He also credited the Congress workers and organisations that backed his campaign. According to Wanjarri, 48 organisations supported his candidature.

“The BJP exerted all its might, all their leaders were present in Nagpur, yet the voters stood with us,” he said.

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“This victory belongs to the workers and leaders of those very organisations. We are very pleased with this outcome. It is a testament to the work we have been doing for several years. It is no longer a BJP stronghold; it has become a Congress stronghold," he said.

Wanjarri's win also gave the Congress its first victory in the current round of Legislative Council elections spanning Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The party had suffered setbacks in other contests, including the four Legislative Council seats in Karnataka.