Abhijit Wanjarri defeated BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale to retain the Nagpur Graduates' constituency. The result delivered Congress its sole victory in the latest MLC elections across four states.Wanjarri defeated BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes. (Credits: Facebook/Abhijit Wanjarri)Nagpur,Oct 29, 2026 13:28 ISTIn a city synonymous with the BJP’s political and ideological influence, Congress leader Abhijit Govindrao Wanjarri has once again held his ground.Wanjarri retained the Nagpur Graduates’ constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, defeating BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes.The win gave Congress a rare electoral success in the hometown of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.It was also the party’s sole victory in the latest round of MLC elections across four states.
Wanjarri defeated BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes after an extended counting process. He secured 67,231 votes against Kohale’s 63,960, winning the seat for a second consecutive term.The result is significant in a region widely regarded as a stronghold of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), whose headquarters is located in Nagpur.
A lawyer and educationist by profession, Wanjarri first won the constituency in December 2020 as a candidate of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). His latest victory keeps the seat with Congress and marks another electoral setback for the BJP in Nagpur.WHO IS ABHIJIT WANJARRI?Abhijit Govindrao Wanjarri is a Congress leader who has been associated with the party for several years.
He represents the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council and has built his career around politics, education and social work.Wanjarri comes from a politically active family. His father, the late Govindrao Marotrao Wanjarri, was a Congress leader who served two terms as an MLA from the South Nagpur Assembly constituency.Wanjarri studied at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU), where he earned Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degrees.
He has also served on the university’s Senate and Management Council, giving him experience in academic administration.FROM STUDENT POLITICS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILWanjarri began his political career through student activism. From 1998 to 2002, he served as the general secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress.He later became secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress.
He also served as general secretary and chief spokesperson of the Nagpur District Congress Committee.Over the years, Wanjarri took on organisational responsibilities within the party and worked as a Congress election observer in states including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.Before entering the Legislative Council, he contested two Assembly elections but failed to win either. He fought the South Nagpur by-election in 2005 and contested the East Nagpur Assembly constituency in 2014 on Congress tickets.His electoral fortunes changed in December 2020, when he contested the Nagpur Graduates’ constituency as an MVA candidate.
Wanjarri defeated BJP nominee Sandip Joshi by 18,910 votes, securing 61,701 votes against Joshi’s 42,791.The victory was significant because the constituency had remained under the BJP’s control for decades. Wanjarri’s win ended the party’s 58-year hold on the seat and established him as a prominent Congress representative in the region.EDUCATION AND SOCIAL WORK BEYOND POLITICSAlongside his political career, Wanjarri remains involved in the education sector.
He is the secretary of Amar Seva Mandal Shikshan Sanstha, an educational organisation that operates colleges across the Vidarbha region in disciplines including engineering, pharmacy, law, management, arts and science.He also serves as chairman of the Govind Urban Credit Co-operative Society.Through the Govindrao Wanjarri Foundation, he has been associated with social initiatives such as health camps, blood donation drives, tree plantation programmes and youth development activities.His involvement in educational institutions and university administration has been a key part of his public life alongside his work in Congress.WHY WANJARRI’S NAGPUR VICTORY MATTERSWanjarri’s latest victory carries significance beyond the constituency. Nagpur is the political home of Fadnavis and Gadkari and the headquarters of the RSS, making the Congress win notable in a region where the BJP has a strong organisational presence.Both BJP leaders campaigned for Kohale during the election.The Nagpur result also gave Congress its only win among the 28 Legislative Council seats contested across Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka in the latest round of elections.
The Congress refrained from fielding candidates in Uttar Pradesh.The wider results were mixed for the opposition and ruling alliances, with the BJP and its allies securing several seats.For Wanjarri, the second consecutive victory strengthens his position in the Maharashtra Legislative Council and extends his representation of graduate voters in Nagpur.For Congress, it provides a significant electoral result in a city closely associated with the BJP’s political leadership and ideological base.- Ends