Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 4 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday announced three candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections from the Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies, where polling for five seats is scheduled to be held on October 23.

The BJP has fielded Smita Jadhav from the Pune Division Graduates’ constituency, Sudhakar Kohle from the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency and Kaustubh Gawde from the Pune Division Teachers’ constituency.

The biennial elections are being held for five Legislative Council seats whose sitting members are due to retire on December 6, 2026. The constituencies going to polls include three Graduates’ seats from Aurangabad (Sambhaji Nagar), Pune and Nagpur divisions, and two Teachers’ seats from Amravati and Pune divisions.

The Congress has already announced candidates for three of the five constituencies. It has renominated Abhijit Wanjari from the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency and Jayant Dinkar Asgaonkar from the Pune Division Teachers’ constituency. Aditi Pohare has been named as the party’s candidate for the Amravati Division Teachers’ constituency.

As per the election schedule, the formal notification was issued on September 29. The last date for filing nominations is October 6, while scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on October 7.

Candidates can withdraw their nominations until October 9. Polling for all five constituencies will take place on October 23, with counting of votes scheduled for October 27.

The five constituencies are Aurangabad Division Graduates’, Pune Division Graduates’, Nagpur Division Graduates’, Amravati Division Teachers’ and Pune Division Teachers’.

The elections to the Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies are being held under the Election Commission’s schedule for the biennial polls to the Maharashtra Legislative Council.

The election process, including all related formalities, is scheduled to be completed by October 31. (ANI)