BJP declares 11 candidates for council polls

The list features Arun Lakhani, a well-known businessman from Nagpur and would be father-in-law of Supriya Sule’s daughter Revati, who is slated to marry the businessman’s son Sarang Lakhani next month. Lakhani, the BJP’s co-treasurer, will be the party’s Wardha-Chandrapur-Gadchiroli candidate

Mumbai: The BJP on Sunday declared 11 candidates for the legislative council polls scheduled on June 18, leaving six seats for Mahayuti allies, Shiv Sena and NCP.

BJP declares 11 candidates for council polls

The list features Arun Lakhani, a well-known businessman from Nagpur and would be father-in-law of Supriya Sule’s daughter Revati, who is slated to marry the businessman’s son Sarang Lakhani next month. Lakhani, the BJP’s co-treasurer, will be the party’s Wardha-Chandrapur-Gadchiroli candidate.

The 11-candidate list features some turncoats who joined the BJP recently after leaving their former parties. Avinash Brahmankar, who had contested from the Sakoli assembly seat on an NCP ticket, has been fielded from Bhandara-Gondiya. Amar Rajurkar, former Congress legislator and close aide of Ashok Chavan, has been fielded from Nanded. Former Congress working president Basavraj Patil is in the fray from Latur-Osmanabad-Beed, while former NCP (SP) leader and former minister Prajakt Tanpure is contesting from Ahmednagar; and former Shiv Sena leader Rajendra Raut is in the fray from Solapur.

The BJP’s former Nagpur district president and hardcore loyalist Rajiv Potdar has been fielded from Nagpur and Pravin Pote Patil, former minister and close aide of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, from Amravati. Nandkishor Mahajan is the party’s Jalgaon candidate while Suhas Shirsat is the Auranabgad-Jalna candidate.