Pankaja Munde guaranteed a place in the legislature

BJP leader Pankaja Munde. File pic

Senior BJP leader Pankaja Munde is among the party's five candidates for the forthcoming Legislative Council elections to be held later this month.

With over 200 MLAs (Assembly members) in the electoral college, the ruling combination is expected to win most of the 11 seats. Having the maximum strength, the BJP has decided to field five contestants. The NDA partners Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party had not declared their candidates till Monday evening.

The Congress can win one and spare some votes for others. But surprises cannot be ruled out because these elections will have a secret ballot and preferential voting. Turning it into a contest will depend on the MVA's interest in fielding more candidates and the NDA's willingness to take risks. Polling will be necessitated if the number of candidates is more than the number of seats available.

Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray had said last week that the MVA would make the contest interesting and spring surprises. Thackeray declared his associate Milind Narvekar's candidature even as the party celebrated Anil Parab's victory in the Graduates Constituency on Monday evening. Narvekar has contacts in other parties, especially in the Shinde Sena.

Outgoing MLC, PWP's Jayant Patil, had been winning on the support of other parties. It will be interesting to see whether he pulls off yet another term.

Rehab for Munde

The candidature with a guarantee of victory comes as rehabilitation for Munde in the wake of her defeat in the Lok Sabha elections from Beed. While working as a senior minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government, she lost the 2019 Assembly elections. She did not get a candidature in the subsequent MLC or Rajya Sabha elections, but later she replaced her two-time MP sister Dr Preetam in the 2024 contest. She lost in a close battle.

Munde's candidature is also important because she is the party's OBC face. A large section of the OBCs has stood beside the BJP through thick and thin. And now insecure because of the Marathas' call for a share in their quota, the OBCs have been given representation by way of Munde ahead of the October Assembly polls.

DCM Fadnavis said the state unit was very happy to have Munde in the contest. "All of us were very demanding for her (Pankaja's) candidature. We are thankful to the central leadership for accepting our demand," he said.

Ex-minister and close associate of Fadnavis, Parinay Phuke has also been cleared for the House he had represented earlier. Early this year, Phuke was in the race for Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha candidature.

In another political adjustment, the BJP has nominated one more OBC leader, Yogesh Tilekar from Hadapsar in Pune where he had lost the 2019 Assembly elections. In case the seat goes to NCP (Ajit Pawar), Tilekar won't get a ticket. A backward-class representative from neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad, Amit Gorkhe has also been given an opportunity to contest the polls.

Ally gets it

Former minister and farmers' leader Sadabhau Khot has got yet another chance to be in the Upper House of the state legislature. He is the BJP's ally that runs an organisation of farmers in western Maharashtra. However, another ally Mahadev Jankar whose MLC term ends this month will have to wait till the Assembly elections. Jankar had fought the Lok Sabha elections from Parbhani.

Satav from Congress

Dr Pradnya Satav will be the Congress's nominee. She was elected in a by-election a few years ago and her term will expire later this month. She has been repeated by the party because the widow of late Rajeev Satav, who was party's promising MP, has moulded herself to play a new role.