The BJP’s candidate selection for the Nagpur division Graduates’ constituency is drawing significant attention. Former MLA Sudhakar Kohale has claimed that the party has already selected him as their candidate. Meanwhile, Anil Sole, a former MLC from the same constituency, has also indicated his interest in the position, as noted by party officials. This emerging dynamic highlights the competitive nature of candidate selection within the party as the election approaches.
The seat, which covers Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts, is among five MLC constituencies going to the polls on Oct 23. Wanjari secured 61,701 votes against Joshi’s 42,791. Sole subsequently succeeded him, before BJP nominated Joshi in 2020.
Because the party had controlled the Nagpur Graduates’ seat for decades before Congress candidate Abhijit Wanjari defeated BJP’s Sandip Joshi in the 2020 election, for BJP, the contest is crucial.
“CM Devendra Fadnavis clearly told me that I am the party candidate,” Kohale told the media. Kohale said seeking the nomination was the right of every aspirant but added that he would accept whatever decision the party takes. He has been visiting educational institutions, meeting voters and promoting his candidature through a campaign booklet and social media outreach, party insiders said.
Kohale has been given responsibility for voter registration by BJP and has been preparing for the constituency for about a year. He claims to have registered nearly two lakh graduates as part of that exercise. He claims the party has already conveyed its decision to him. His supporters claimed that state BJP president Ravindra Chavan had backed his candidature. At the same time, he made it clear that he was continuing his preparations and had no intention of stepping back. Union minister Nitin Gadkari represented the seat for several terms before moving to national politics.
On the other hand, Sole, who previously represented the constituency, has begun campaigning on his own initiative. The Nagpur Graduates’ constituency has historically been associated with BJP’s organisational and political network in the city.