BJP eyes Nagpur MLC seat as bypoll announced

Nagpur: With the Election Commission announcing the schedule for Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, focus has shifted to the Nagpur Local Authorities' Constituency, where a bypoll will be held following the vacancy created by revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule's election to the legislative assembly in 2024.The BJP expressed confidence of retaining the seat, stating it has the required numbers. Party functionaries said a meeting will be held shortly to finalise strategy and candidate selection.Unlike the 16 other council seats, where winners will serve a full six-year term, the Nagpur byelection winner will hold office only until January 1, 2028. Party insiders said the shorter tenure may discourage senior functionaries from contesting unless there is clarity on renomination in 2028.BJP state vice-president Dr Upendra Kothekar said the announcement came unexpectedly. "We did not anticipate the Nagpur poll, so there is no immediate strategy. A meeting this week will address this," he said.On the broader 17-seat election, Kothekar said district-level consultations would precede candidate selection. "Each district unit will submit recommendations before the party finalises names," he said, adding that numbers were not a concern. "We have the numbers; the focus is on choosing the right candidate."Polling for all 17 seats will be held on June 18, with counting on June 22 and the process to conclude by June 25. The notification will be issued next Monday, nominations will close on June 1, scrutiny is scheduled for June 2, and withdrawal can be done until June 4.The elections were delayed as Election Commission norms require at least 75% of local bodies and electors in a constituency to be in place. The chief electoral officer of Maharashtra has confirmed that both conditions are now met across all 17 constituencies.