BJP Declares Candidates for Maharashtra Legislative Council Elections

The BJP has announced candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, including Niranjan Davkhare, Kiran Shelar, and Shivnath Darade. The elections will fill vacant seats in various constituencies, with key deadlines in June. Other parties, including MNS and Shiv Sena, have also named candidates.

The BJP on Monday revealed its candidates for the looming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, naming Niranjan Davkhare, the son of late NCP leader Vasant Davkhare, Kiran Shelar, and Shivnath Darade as nominees from the Konkan Graduates, Mumbai Graduates, and Mumbai Teachers constituencies, respectively.

In a noteworthy development, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which aligns with the BJP-led Mahayuti, has announced film director Abhijit Panse as its candidate for the Konkan Graduates' constituency for the biennial elections, scheduled to take place on June 26.

The imminent elections target to fill vacancies in the Mumbai Graduates, Konkan Graduates, Mumbai Teachers, and Nashik Teachers constituencies due to the impending expiry of current members' terms in July. The deadline for filing nominations is set for June 7, with voting on June 26 and results declared on July 1.

Within the 78-member Legislative Council, the current composition includes 11 members from the undivided Shiv Sena, 9 from the undivided NCP, 8 from Congress, and 22 from BJP. Additionally, the JD(U), Peasants and Workers Party, and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha each have one representative, alongside four Independents. A total of 21 seats remain vacant.

These vacancies encompass 12 members to be nominated by the Governor and nine selected by local body representatives. Notably, many MLCs from Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party migrated to factions led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar following internal splits.

The faction of Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has declared MLC Anil Parab and J M Abhyankar as candidates for the Mumbai Graduates and Mumbai Teachers constituencies.