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BJP Names Three Candidates for Maharashtra Legislative Council Polls
The BJP has chosen three people to run in elections for seats in Maharashtra’s Legislative Council.
Sudhakar Kohale will run in the Nagpur Graduates constituency.
Smita Jadhav will run in the Pune Graduates constituency.
Kaustubh Gawade will run in the Pune Teachers constituency.
Kohale and Gawade will face sitting representatives who are running again for Congress.
The election is for five seats in total.
Voting is scheduled for October 23, 2026, and votes will be counted on October 27.
Some other parties had not yet announced all their candidates.
The BJP named Sudhakar Kohale for Nagpur Graduates, Smita Jadhav for Pune Graduates and Kaustubh Gawade for Pune Teachers.
Kohale will challenge incumbent Congress MLC Abhijit Wanjari; Gawade will face Congress-renominated Jayant Asgaonkar.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi had not announced its Pune Graduates candidate at the time of the report.
The Election Commission scheduled polling for five Maharashtra Legislative Council seats on October 23, 2026, with counting on October 27.
Congress announced Prof Aditi Rishikesh Pohare for Amravati Teachers; Shiv Sena and NCP had yet to announce their nominees.
- Who
- The BJP and its three announced candidates: Sudhakar Kohale, Smita Jadhav and Kaustubh Gawade.
- What
- The BJP announced candidates for three of five Maharashtra Legislative Council constituency elections.
- Where
- The constituencies are Nagpur Graduates, Pune Graduates and Pune Teachers in Maharashtra.
- When
- The Election Commission announced the schedule on September 22; polling is set for October 23, 2026.
- Why
- The terms of the sitting members are due to expire on December 6, 2026.
Congress’s approach
Shiv Sena-UBT and NCP-SP’s response
Congress announcing nominees
Congress’s approach
Congress announced nominees, including Prof Aditi Rishikesh Pohare for Amravati Teachers and Jayant Asgaonkar for Pune Teachers.
Shiv Sena-UBT and NCP-SP’s response
The report says Shiv Sena-UBT and NCP-SP were angry over Congress’s decision to announce three nominees.
Claims over Teachers constituencies
Congress’s approach
Congress named Pohare for Amravati Teachers and renominated Asgaonkar for Pune Teachers.
Shiv Sena-UBT and NCP-SP’s response
Shiv Sena had staked a claim over the Pune and Amravati Teachers constituencies, according to the report.
Key facts
- BJP candidates
- Sudhakar Kohale (Nagpur Graduates), Smita Jadhav (Pune Graduates), Kaustubh Gawade (Pune Teachers)
- Total seats
- Five: three Graduates constituencies and two Teachers constituencies
- Polling
- October 23, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Counting
- October 27, 2026
- Nomination deadline
- October 6, 2026
- Nomination scrutiny
- October 7, 2026
- Withdrawal deadline
- October 9, 2026
- Congress nominees mentioned
- Jayant Asgaonkar was renominated for Pune Teachers; Prof Aditi Rishikesh Pohare was named for Amravati Teachers.
Sources
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