Sena-BJP alliance manages to retain hold over Marathwada

The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance has managed to retain its hold over the Marathwada region, despite the loss of a seat.

The alliance bagged five seats, compared to the six it got during the 2004 elections while its rivals Congress-NCP combine, which then got two seats, increased its tally to three.

The Sena has won three (Aurangabad, Hingoli and Parbhani), BJP two (Beed and Jalna), Congress two (Nanded and Latur) and NCP a seat (Osmanabad).

Prominent winners include former minister Bhaskarrao Patil Khatgaonkar (Nanded), a relative of chief minister Ashok Chavan and former minister Padmasinh Patil, who won from Osmanabad.

Sena's Chandrakant Khaire managed to win, albeit with nearly a lakh less votes than his winning margin in 2004.

BJP's Raosaheb Danve retained Jalna seat, staving off a strong challenge from Kalyan Kale of Congress.

BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde won by over 1.44 lakh votes from Beed, the seat which NCP won in 2004.

In Latur, former minister Jaywantrao Awale defeated BJP's Sunil Gaikwad. Awale's victory has come as a relief to former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh who had insisted that the Congress leader, who hails from Kolhapur district be given the ticket.

Awale's candidature had drawn up resentment among local Congress leaders who said there were enough candidates in Latur worthy of the party ticket.

Sena's Ganesh Dudhgaonkar won from Parbhani while Union minister of state Suryakanta Patil tasted defeat in Hingoli where Sena's Subhash Wankhede won.