Maharashtra Legislative Council polls: 30 candidates in fray for six seats

As many as 30 candidates are in fray for six seats of the Legislative Council from the local bodies constituencies where elections are scheduled on November 19, as the last date of withdrawal of nominations ended on Saturday.

With Opposition Congress and NCP failing to seal a pact for an alliance, candidates of both parties are pitted against each other in Sangli-Satara, Pune and Bhandara-Gondia. Mohan Kadam of Congress is in fray against Shekhar Gore of NCP in Sangli-Satara seat. BJP candidate Satish Bandekar and sitting NCP MLC Prabhakar Gharge who filed as independent withdrew from the race, an official of the State Electoral Office said.

In Yavatmal, Tanaji Sawant of Shiv Sena is pitted against Shankar Bade of Congress. Sitting NCP MLC Sandeep Bajirao is in fray as an independent candidate. In Pune, Anil Bhosale of NCP is contesting against Sanjay Jagtap of Congress and Ashok Tanpure of BJP. Ex-NCP MLA Vilas Lande is in fray as an independent.

Shiv Sena withdrew its candidate Dnyaneshwar Khandagale in Pune. Congress, NCP withdrew their candidates in Jalgaon where BJP nominee Chandulal Patel will be pitted against seven independents.

In Bhandara-Gondia, Praful Agrawal of Congress, Rajendra Jain of NCP and Parinay Phuke of BJP are in the fray. In Nanded, Amar Rajurkar of Congress is in race against independent Shyam Sunder Shinde.

A total of 40 nominations were filed out of which 10 withdrew. The term of the sitting MLCs end on December 5. Congress had sitting MLCs in Nanded, NCP in Jalgaon , Yavatmal, Sangli-Satara and Bhandara-Gondia while BJP had Jalgaon.