Maharashtra minister Ranjit Patil retains upper house seat

MUMBAI (INDIA): Maharashtra minister of state for home Ranjit Patil today retained the Amravati graduates seat defeating his nearest Congress rival Sanjay Khodke.nnPatil polled 78051 votes, while Khodke got 34,154 votes.nnBiennial elections to Maharashtra Legislative Council for five Graduates and Teachers constituencies were held on February 3.nnThe constituencies which went to polls are Amravati, Nashik (both graduates division), Nagpur, Aurangabad and Konkan (teachers division).nnAs many as 76 candidates are in fray for the five seats.nnBJP had renominated Patil for Amravati seat.nnThe tenure of these five seats had ended on December 5, 2016 but the election was postponed after Supreme Court directed that voter rolls in all teachers and graduates constituencies for the legislative councils be revised.nnSource: Press Trust of India