Mumbai/IBNS: In a major electoral setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in one of its most significant turf, the candidate for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition on Thursday defeated the saffron party's contender in polls to a Maharashtra Legislative Council seat in Nagpur.

The massive blow for the BJP is more relevant owing to the fact that the constituency houses the headquarters of its ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and is the home turf of prominent leaders like Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

This was considered a key contest in the state after CM Eknath Shinde displaced Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, siding with the BJP in June.

The election saw the MVA's Sudhakar Adbale win the Nagpur teachers' seat, defeating the BJP-backed Nago Ganar, officials said.

The 6-year term of five council members - three from teachers and two from graduates constituencies - is expiring on Feb 7 and polling was held on Monday to fill up the upcoming vacancies.

Teachers and graduates fulfilling certain criteria and enrolled as voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in these elections.

The Konkan teachers' constituency recorded the highest voter turnout at 91.02 per cent, while the Nashik division graduates seat logged the lowest polling at 49.28 per cent.