The Maharashtra legislative council polls, which the Mahayuti swept by winning nine out of 11 seats it contested, was a contest between money and people's power, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut claimed on Saturday.

The ruling alliance on Friday won all the nine seats it contested in the biennial elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi faced a setback after Peasants and Workers' Party (PWP) candidate Jayant Patil, backed by NCP-SP, lost due to cross-voting by opposition MLAs.

Twelve candidates were in the fray for 11 seats, of which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won five, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party bagged two each.

Talking to reporters, Raut stressed that MVA candidate Jayant Patil's defeat was not a setback for the opposition alliance.

Though legislators from the Congress cross-voted in the council polls, no one from the Shiv Sena-UBT or NCP-SP ditched the opposition camp, he said.

"The council poll was a contest between money power and people's power," the Sena-UBT leader said, alleging that the "rate" of the MLAs of smaller parties and independents was soaring like a stock market.

He further claimed that some legislators were given two acres of land.

Raut said the opposition camp depended on the Samajwadi Party, AIMIM and other smaller parties.

"MLAs who think they are secular, who believe in the socialist ideology, there are many like that (who did not vote for the MVA candidate). The rate for MLAs ranged from Rs 20 crore to Rs 25 crore. 

The MVA will not play such a game," he said, alluding that these parties did not vote for the MVA. -- PTI