Maha: BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena Candidates Submit Nominations for State Council By-elections
Click to start listening
Synopsis
On March 18, candidates from BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena submitted their nominations for the Maharashtra Legislative Council by-elections, set to take place on March 27. With no opposition from the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the BJP nominees are expected to be elected unopposed.
Key Takeaways
- BJP candidates Dadarao Keche, Sandip Joshi, and Sanjay Kanekar file nominations.
- NCP's Sanjay Khodke and Shiv Sena's Chandrakant Raghuvanshi also nominated.
- The by-elections are scheduled for March 27.
- No candidates from the Maha Vikas Aghadi submitted nominations.
- The election became necessary due to the election of five council members to the state assembly.
Mumbai, March 18 (NationPress) BJP candidates Dadarao Keche, Sandip Joshi, and Sanjay Kanekar, alongside NCP contender Sanjay Khodke and Shiv Sena representative Chandrakant Raghuvansi, have officially filed their nominations for the upcoming by-election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
They are expected to be elected unopposed since no members from the Maha Vikas Aghadi submitted their nominations due to insufficient numbers. The deadline for filing nominations was Monday. According to the Election Commission, the election is scheduled for March 27.
This by-election became necessary following the election of five council members including Praveen Datke, Gopichand Padalkar, and Ramesh Karad (BJP), along with one member each from NCP and Shiv Sena, Rajesh Vitekar and Aamshya Padave, to the state assembly in the November elections. While Padave's term in the state council extends to July 7, 2028, Vitekar's term runs until July 27, 2030. The terms of Datke, Padalkar, and Karad will conclude on May 13, 2026.
The BJP opted for loyalists for nominations rather than those who transitioned from Congress, NCP, SP, or Shiv Sena UBT. Keche, who served as a legislator from Arvi in the Wardha district during the 2019 and 2024 elections, was denied a ticket in the last assembly elections after the BJP selected Sumit Wankhede, a former personal aide to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
After being dropped, Keche threatened to run as an independent candidate. However, Fadnavis intervened and arranged a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where Keche received assurances for his future within the party. He subsequently pledged his support to Wankhede.
Sandip Joshi, a close ally of Fadnavis and former mayor of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, previously lost a state council election to a Congress nominee but has now been selected for this state council by-election.
Sanjay Kanekar, associated with the BJP's OBC cell from Sambhajinagar in Marathwada, was considered for nomination in the 2014 assembly elections but was overlooked after the party chose Atul Save. After an 11-year wait and strong recommendations from the Chief Minister, he has finally received a nomination.
Sanjay Khodke, the NCP nominee, is a close associate of party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Known as a backroom strategist since the NCP's inception, he has collaborated with prominent figures like Sharad Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal. His wife, Sulabha Khodke, serves as the NCP legislator representing Amravati.
Shiv Sena's decision to nominate Chandrakant Raghuvanshi aims to bolster its influence in the tribal-heavy Nandurbar district and North Maharashtra. He is a significant leader from Nandurbar, playing a crucial role in securing the formerly Congress-held Akkalkuwa assembly seat for Shiv Sena.
