BJP names 5 candidates for Maharashtra Legislative Council polls on May 12
Synopsis
With CM Devendra Fadnavis personally vetting the list and the Mahayuti holding a 235-vote surplus, BJP's six nominees for the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls on 12 May look like a near-certain sweep of eight seats — leaving the fractured MVA fighting to hold just one.
Key Takeaways
BJP announced six nominees for the Maharashtra Legislative Council biennial elections on 12 May 2025 .
The confirmed candidates are Sunil Karjatkar , Madhavi Naik , Sanjay Bhende , Vivek Kolhe , Pramod Jathar , and Pragnya Satav .
Pragnya Satav was added after she resigned from the Congress Upper House seat in December 2025 and joined BJP.
The Mahayuti alliance commands 235 surplus votes and is positioned to win 8 of 9 seats.
The MVA has 46 MLAs — enough to elect one candidate, if cross-voting is avoided.
Last date for nominations is 30 April ; a candidate needs 29 first-preference votes to win.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, 28 April 2025, announced its five nominees for the biennial elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council, scheduled for 12 May. The announcement comes as the terms of nine sitting members of the Upper House are set to expire on 13 May, triggering polls for all nine seats. The last date for filing nominations is 30 April.
BJP's Six Nominees
The BJP's confirmed list of candidates comprises Sunil Karjatkar, Madhavi Naik, Sanjay Bhende, Vivek Kolhe, and Pramod Jathar. The party has also nominated Pragnya Satav, whose inclusion was necessitated after she resigned as a Congress legislator from the Upper House in December 2025 and subsequently joined the BJP.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is reported to have exercised his veto in the selection process, while also securing clearance from the Central BJP leadership in New Delhi. The party has reportedly sought to balance veteran experience with youth representation in its final list.
Who Are the Nominees
Sunil Karjatkar is a long-standing party worker associated with organisational roles, active since the era of BJP veterans Pramod Mahajan and Gopinath Munde. Madhavi Naik, a practising lawyer and current state general secretary, rose through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) before joining the BJP's organisational structure. Sanjay Bhende serves as State BJP Vice-President and Chairman of Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank Limited, with prior experience as a State BJP Executive member between 2013 and 2015.
Vivek Kolhe, grandson of cooperative leader and former Minister Shankarrao Kolhe, brings extensive cooperative sector experience — he has served as Chairman of Sahakar Maharshi Shankarrao Kolhe Cooperative Sugar Factory Limited, trustee of Sanjivani University, and director of both Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative (IFFCO) and the Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation. Pramod Jathar is a former legislator from the coastal Sindhudurg district.
Mahayuti Alliance's Comfortable Position
The ruling Mahayuti alliance — comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) — commands a substantial surplus of 235 total votes, placing it in a comfortable position to win eight of the nine seats. Under this arrangement, BJP is contesting five seats, Shiv Sena two, and NCP one. Based on the current strength of the Maharashtra Assembly, a candidate requires 29 first-preference votes to secure a win.
Opposition's Narrow Margin
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) opposition bloc, with a combined strength of 46 MLAs — comprising Shiv Sena-UBT (20), Congress (16), and NCP-SP (10) — holds sufficient numbers to elect one candidate, provided there is no cross-voting or defection. The opposition's ability to consolidate its votes without internal fractures will be a key factor to watch ahead of polling day.
What Happens Next
Nominations must be filed by 30 April, with polling set for 12 May. The outcome will reshape the composition of the Maharashtra Upper House and could signal the relative cohesion of both the ruling alliance and the opposition going into future electoral contests in the state.
Point of View
A dynamic worth watching as the party approaches future state and national contests. The inclusion of Pragnya Satav, a Congress defector, also underlines BJP's ongoing strategy of absorbing opposition legislators to weaken the MVA structurally. The real question is whether the MVA can hold its 46 MLAs together to secure even its one winnable seat — a test of opposition discipline in a state where defections have become routine.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the BJP candidates for the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections 2025?
BJP has nominated Sunil Karjatkar, Madhavi Naik, Sanjay Bhende, Vivek Kolhe, Pramod Jathar, and Pragnya Satav for the Maharashtra Legislative Council biennial elections scheduled for 12 May 2025.
Why was Pragnya Satav included in BJP's Maharashtra Legislative Council list?
Pragnya Satav's nomination was necessitated after she resigned as a Congress legislator from the Maharashtra Upper House in December 2025 and joined the BJP. Her seat required a fresh contest, prompting BJP to field her directly.
When are the Maharashtra Legislative Council biennial elections 2025?
The elections are scheduled for 12 May 2025, with the last date for filing nominations being 30 April. The polls cover all nine seats whose sitting members' terms expire on 13 May.
How many seats can the Mahayuti alliance win in the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls?
The Mahayuti alliance — BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP — holds a surplus of 235 votes and is comfortably positioned to win eight of the nine seats, with BJP contesting five, Shiv Sena two, and NCP one.
Can the Maha Vikas Aghadi win any seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Council election?
With 46 MLAs across Shiv Sena-UBT (20), Congress (16), and NCP-SP (10), the MVA has enough votes to elect one candidate, provided there is no cross-voting or defection among its legislators.
