MVA poses big challenge to BJP in Pune graduate constituency

Election for the graduate constituency and teacher’s legislative council is slated on December 1 for five seats for MLCs in Maharashtra and two are from Pune region

The Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA), on Thursday, nominated Arun Lad and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has filed Amol Pawar’s nomination for the Pune graduate constituency.

Police officials remove a flex put up by a political party near Council hall on Thursday. Candidates visited the office to file their nomination papers. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed the nomination of its candidate Sangram Deshmukh, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has nominated Rupali Patil.

The election for the graduate constituency and teacher’s legislative council is slated on December 1 for five seats for MLCs in Maharashtra and two are from Pune region.

Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena are contesting the graduate constituency election together. Though traditionally Pune’s graduate constituency has been dominated by BJP, the Maha Vikas Agadi is planning to challenge the BJP.

Jayanti Patil, state unit president, NCP, said, “ We are hoping for victory. BJP said that the MVA government will not complete it’s tenure but that is just false hope.”

Chandrakant Patil, the party’ state unit president, on Wednesday, said, “Pune graduate constituency has always been dominated by the BJP. Except one time, it was always represented by BJP and I myself represented it for two terms.”

As the BJP state president Chandrakant Patil has completed his tenure, the post of MLC was vacant from Pune division. A total of five districts come in the graduate and teacher’s constituency. The candidates will be elected from Pune, Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Solapur districts.

Pune district has the highest number of voters followed by Kolhapur so most political parties will focus to campaign in Pune.