Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Congress Names Three Candidates for Maharashtra Council Elections
Congress has chosen three people to contest elections for five seats in Maharashtra’s Legislative Council.
Two of its candidates are already members of the Council.
The third candidate will contest a Teachers’ constituency in Amravati.
The five seats represent graduates and teachers from different divisions.
The Election Commission says voting will take place on October 23.
Votes will be counted on October 27.
Congress made its announcement after opposition alliance partners discussed sharing seats.
The ruling MahaYuti alliance is still deciding which party will contest each seat.
Congress approved three candidates for Maharashtra Legislative Council elections from Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies.
Abhijit Govindrao Wanjarri and Jayant Dinkar Asagaonkar were renominated as sitting legislators.
Aditi Rishikesh Pohare was named for the Amravati Teachers’ constituency.
Polling for five seats is scheduled for October 23, with counting on October 27.
The MahaYuti alliance has not yet finalized its seat-sharing arrangement.
- Who
- The Indian National Congress, its three candidates, the Maha Vikas Aghadi parties, and the MahaYuti alliance are involved.
- What
- Congress approved candidates for three of five Maharashtra Legislative Council seats in the biennial elections.
- When
- Congress announced the candidates on Friday; polling is scheduled for October 23 and counting for October 27.
- Where
- The contests are in the Aurangabad, Pune, Nagpur, and Amravati divisions of Maharashtra.
- Why
- The elections are required because the terms of the sitting Council members are set to expire on December 6.
Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi
MahaYuti alliance
Seat strategy
Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi
Congress has announced three candidates, while the NCP-SP and Shiv Sena-UBT are expected to nominate candidates in the Pune and Aurangabad Graduates’ constituencies.
MahaYuti alliance
The BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena are still negotiating their seat-sharing arrangement and have not announced the final allocation.
Political objective
Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi
The Congress is seeking to retain representation through the renominated sitting legislators and its new candidate.
MahaYuti alliance
MahaYuti leaders say a unified formula will prevent vote fragmentation and combine the alliance parties’ organizational strengths.
Constituency strengths
Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi
The opposition parties are contesting constituencies where Congress and its allies currently hold representation, including Nagpur Graduates’ and Pune Teachers’.
MahaYuti alliance
The BJP is seeking to reclaim Graduates’ constituencies, while Shiv Sena is building support among educators and youth networks and the NCP cites strong grassroots claims in Pune.
- Congress candidates
- Abhijit Govindrao Wanjarri, Jayant Dinkar Asagaonkar, and Aditi Rishikesh Pohare
- Constituencies
- Nagpur Division Graduates’, Pune Division Teachers’, and Amravati Teachers’
- Total seats
- Five: three Graduates’ constituencies and two Teachers’ constituencies
- Polling date
- October 23, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Counting date
- October 27
- Nomination deadline
- October 6
- Term deadline
- The sitting members’ terms expire on December 6; the election must be held before October 31