BJP announces five nominees for Maha Legislative Council polls
Mumbai, April 28
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday announced the five nominees for the biennial elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council scheduled to take place on May 12.
The polling has been announced for all the nine seats as the term of the sitting members of the Upper House ends on May 13.
The last date for filing the nominations is April 30.
The list of BJP candidates include Sunil Karjatkar, Madhavi Naik, Sanjay Bhende, Vivek Kolhe and Pramod Jathar.
BJP has also announced the nomination of Pragnya Satav for the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls.
It was necessitated after she left the Congress and resigned as a legislator from the Upper House in December 2025 and joined the BJP.
The BJP has preferred to strike a balance by giving veterans and youth leaders during the nominations.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has exercised his veto in the selection of nominees while seeking the clearance from the Central BJP leadership.
Sunil Karjatkar, who has been active since the days for party veterans including Pramod Mahajan and Gopinath Munde, is associated with the party's organisational work.
Madhavi Naik, who is a practicing lawyer, has been elevated to the BJP from her initial association with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. She is currently the state general secretary and associated with the party's organisational works.
Sanjay Bhende is the State BJP Vice-President and Chairman of Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank Limited. He was the State BJP Executive member since 2013-2015.
Vivek Kolhe, who is the grandson of cooperative leader and former Minister Shankarrao Kolhe, has been the Chairman of Sahakar Maharshi Shankarrao Kolhe Cooperative Sugar Factory Limited, trustee of Sanjivani Rural Education Society (Sanjivani University), Director of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative (IFFCO) and director of Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation, among various other organisations engaged in the cooperative and industrial sectors.
Pramod Jathar is a former legislator from the coastal Sindhudurg district.
The Mahayuti alliance with a massive surplus of 235 total votes, can comfortably win eight seats comprising BJP's five, Shiv Sena two and NCP one.
With 46 MLAs currently in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising Shiv Sena-UBT (20), Congress (16) and NCP-SP (10), the Opposition can elect one candidate, provided there is no cross-voting or defection.
Based on the current strength of the Maharashtra Assembly, to secure a victory, a candidate requires 29 first-preference votes.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Mahayuti has a comfortable majority, but the real test is governance, not just winning seats. The cooperative sector representation through Vivek Kolhe is interesting, given his family's legacy. Hope he works for farmers, not just sugar factories.
Fadnavis using his veto—classic! The Central leadership clearance shows BJP's internal dynamics. But honestly, the Legislative Council feels like a retirement home for loyalists. Hope these five actually debate issues, not just toe the party line.
Pragnya Satav's switch to BJP was inevitable after she resigned from Congress. But why does the Upper House become a revolving door for defectors? Shouldn't there be stricter rules? Maharashtra needs leaders with integrity, not party-hoppers. 😤
With 235 votes for Mahayuti vs 46 for MVA, it's a cakewalk. But cross-voting is always a risk. Remember the Rajya Sabha drama? Let's see if the Opposition can manage even one seat without defections. Political game is unpredictable!
Good to see women like Madhavi Naik being nominated—she's a lawyer with ABVP background. But the list could have been more diverse. Only one woman out of five? That's disappointing. Maharashtra needs stronger female representation in all houses.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.