The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced five candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections scheduled next month. Among the prominent names are Sanjay Bhende, former Director of NAFCUB and Chairman of Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank, and Vivek Kolhe, an IFFCO Director and young cooperator.
Both leaders are closely associated with the cooperative sector. The names were declared on Tuesday, triggering a wave of enthusiasm among their supporters, who took to social media to congratulate them.
Vivek Kolhe is the son of former MLA Snehalata Kolhe and the grandson of eminent cooperator Shankarrao Kolhe. Notably, Snehalata Kolhe did not contest the 2024 Assembly elections from the Kopargaon seat in Ahilyanagar district, as it was allotted to the party’s ally, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Meanwhile, Sanjay Bhende played a key role as in-charge of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign and currently serves as Chairman of Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank. He has also been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and is a former Director of NAFCUB.
The announcement comes ahead of the nomination process, with April 30 set as the last date for filing nominations. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on May 2, while the last date for withdrawal is May 4.
Polling for the biennial elections will be held on May 12 from 9 am to 4 pm, with counting scheduled at 5 pm the same day. The election process is expected to be completed by May 13.