India, June 5 -- After a week of high-stakes conflict in the ruling Mahayuti, marked by rebellion followed by hectic negotiations to stem dissent, the run-up to the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections hit a dramatic climax on Thursday, the last day for withdrawal of nominations, as several opposition candidates pulled out of the fray, amid allegations of exchange of cash and promise of future political gains, resulting in six Mahayuti candidates being elected unopposed.

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which had struggled to field candidates for all 17 council seats, suffered a major setback on the final day of withdrawals. Candidates of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) withdrew from at least eight constituencies, effectiv...