BJP fields 3 candidates for Maharashtra MLC polls on Oct 23
Synopsis
BJP has locked in its three Maharashtra MLC candidates — a former MLA, a university Pro-Vice Chancellor, and a school-network CEO — while Shiv Sena and NCP are yet to name their nominees and alliance tensions over seat-sharing are already surfacing ahead of the 23 October vote.
Key Takeaways
BJP announced three candidates for Maharashtra MLC polls on 4 October 2026 : Sudhakar Kohale (Nagpur Graduate), Smita Jadhav (Pune Graduate), and Kaustubh Gawade (Pune Teachers).
Polling for five MLC constituencies is scheduled for 23 October 2026 ; counting on 27 October 2026 .
Nominations close on 6 October 2026 , with scrutiny on 7 October and withdrawal deadline on 9 October .
Shiv Sena will contest Nagpur Teachers and NCP will contest Aurangabad Graduates within the Mahayuti alliance.
Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) are reportedly upset over Congress announcing three nominees without alliance consensus on the opposition side.
Sitting members' terms expire on 6 December 2026 , making these elections a direct succession exercise across all five seats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, 4 October 2026, released its official list of candidates for three constituencies in the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) elections, intensifying political manoeuvring within the ruling Mahayuti alliance ahead of polling on 23 October 2026.
BJP's Three Nominees
The party has fielded the following candidates: Sudhakar Kohale (former MLA) for the Nagpur Graduate constituency; Smita Jadhav, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Dr D Y Patil University, for the Pune Graduate constituency; and Kaustubh Gawade, Chief Executive Officer of Shri Swami Vivekanand Shikshan Sanstha in Kolhapur, for the Pune Teachers constituency. With these nominations confirmed, BJP will contest three of the five seats, leaving the Nagpur Teachers constituency to alliance partner Shiv Sena and the Aurangabad Graduates constituency to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Key Contests to Watch
In Nagpur Graduate, Kohale is set to face incumbent Congress MLC Abhijit Govindrao Wanjari. Kohale brings considerable experience to the contest — a two-time municipal corporator in Nagpur, former Chairman of the Water Supply Committee, and a one-term MLA from Nagpur East in 2014. In Pune Teachers, Gawade will go up against sitting legislator Jayant Dinkar Asgaonkar, who has been renominated by the Congress. In Pune Graduate, Jadhav awaits an opponent from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which is yet to declare its nominee for that seat.
Alliance Tensions Within Mahayuti
The BJP's announcement follows the Congress party's decision to name three nominees — a move that has reportedly angered Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) within the opposition bloc. Notably, Shiv Sena and NCP on the ruling side are yet to announce their own nominations. Shiv Sena has staked its claim over the Pune and Amravati Teachers constituencies, while Congress has already named Prof Aditi Rishikesh Pohare as its candidate for Amravati Teachers. These internal frictions underscore the delicate seat-sharing arithmetic that governs both alliances ahead of each election cycle.
Election Schedule and Incumbent Members
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced polls for five MLC seats on 22 September 2026, covering three Graduate constituencies — Aurangabad, Pune, and Nagpur — and two Teachers' constituencies — Amravati and Pune. The terms of sitting members expire on 6 December 2026. The official schedule is: last date for nominations — 6 October 2026; scrutiny — 7 October 2026; withdrawal deadline — 9 October 2026; polling — 23 October 2026 (8:00 AM to 4:00 PM); counting — 27 October 2026. Current incumbents include Bhanudasrao Satish Chavan (NCP, Aurangabad Graduate), Arun Ganpati Lad (NCP-SP, Pune Graduate), Abhijit Govindrao Wanjari (Congress, Nagpur Graduate), Kiran Ramrao Sarnaik (Shiv Sena-affiliated, Amravati Teachers), and Jayant Dinkar Asgaonkar (Congress, Pune Teachers).
With nominations closing on 6 October, the full contest field is expected to crystallise within days, setting the stage for a closely watched multi-front battle across Maharashtra's graduate and teacher electorates.
Point of View
But it also risks further straining Mahayuti's seat-sharing compact. More telling is the mirror image on the opposition side, where Congress's unilateral three-seat announcement has evidently irritated Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP). These MLC elections, often dismissed as second-order contests, are in fact a live stress test of both alliances' internal discipline heading into what is expected to be a busy electoral cycle in Maharashtra. The candidate profiles — an educationist, a university administrator, and a school-network executive — suggest both sides are playing to graduate and teacher electorates with professional credibility rather than political lineage, a pattern worth watching as voter fatigue with traditional party machinery grows.
NationPress
4 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which candidates has BJP announced for the Maharashtra MLC elections?
BJP has named Sudhakar Kohale for the Nagpur Graduate constituency, Smita Jadhav for the Pune Graduate constituency, and Kaustubh Gawade for the Pune Teachers constituency. The announcement was made on 4 October 2026, days before the nomination deadline of 6 October.
When is polling for the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections?
Polling across the five MLC constituencies is scheduled for 23 October 2026, between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Counting of votes will take place on 27 October 2026.
Which seats are Shiv Sena and NCP contesting within the Mahayuti alliance?
Within the ruling Mahayuti alliance, Shiv Sena has staked its claim on the Nagpur Teachers constituency and NCP will contest the Aurangabad Graduates seat. Both parties are yet to officially announce their nominees.
Who are the incumbent MLCs whose seats are up for election?
The five incumbents are Bhanudasrao Satish Chavan (NCP, Aurangabad Graduate), Arun Ganpati Lad (NCP-SP, Pune Graduate), Abhijit Govindrao Wanjari (Congress, Nagpur Graduate), Kiran Ramrao Sarnaik (Shiv Sena-affiliated, Amravati Teachers), and Jayant Dinkar Asgaonkar (Congress, Pune Teachers). Their terms expire on 6 December 2026.
Why are Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) unhappy with Congress ahead of these elections?
Congress's decision to unilaterally announce three candidates — including Prof Aditi Rishikesh Pohare for Amravati Teachers — is reportedly seen by Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) as bypassing opposition alliance consensus on seat-sharing. Both parties have expressed displeasure over the announcement.
