Bawankule urges graduates in Chandrapur to vote for BJP-Mahayuti candidate Sudhakar Kohale

State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule appealed to voters to elect Sudhakar Kohale, the official BJP-Mahayuti candidate, in the 2026 election from the Nagpur division graduates' constituency. He said Kohale should be chosen so that graduates' issues are raised effectively and they get justice. He was speaking on Wednesday at a graduates' interaction meet organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party's Chandrapur city unit at Mahesh Bhavan in Chandrapur. He also commented on graduates' issues and on the role of the opposition.

Those present included Guardian Minister Dr Ashok Uike, former Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir, MLA Kishor Jorgewar, Chandrapur district city in-charge Archana Dehankar, MLA Raju Todsam and former MLA Anil Sole. OBC leader Ashok Jivtode, former district president Subhash Kasangottuwar, senior leader Arun Tikhe, Chandrapur District Central Co-operative Bank chairman Ravindra Shinde, secretary Ulhas Karpe, Nationalist Congress Party district president Nitin Bhatarkar and municipal corporation party leader Chandrashekhar Shetty also attended. Others present were Mohammed Jilani, general secretary Savita Dandhare, Namdev Dahule, Shyam Kankam, Mahila Morcha in-charge Vandana Hatgaonkar, Ghugus city president Sanjay Tiwari, Ghugus municipal council party leader Meena Morpaka, councillors Jitesh Kulmethe, Nitesh Gawale, Ashish Masirkar, Savita Kamble, Sheetal Gurnule, Pushpa Urade, Sarla Kulsange, Asha Deshmukh and Jyoti Jeevane, along with mandal presidents Pradip Kirme, Ravi Jogi, Sarika Sandurkar and Swapnil Dukare, and Senate member Nilesh Belkhede.

Bawankule said graduates in the state have many important issues. To get them resolved through the government, he said, the Legislative Council needs a capable representative who can work in step with the government. He told graduate voters not to make a mistake while voting. In his view, even one vote given to the wrong candidate could affect the resolution of graduates' issues. He therefore asked everyone to work together to elect Kohale, who would raise graduates' issues effectively in the House.

Commenting on sitting graduates' constituency MLA Abhijit Wanjari, Bawankule said no solid work on graduates' issues was visible during his term. He alleged that Wanjari had failed to go beyond agitation and raise graduates' issues effectively in the House. Bawankule also alleged that the previous election was won through misuse of power. He said that with defeat now looking likely, the issue of casteism was being pushed forward.

Referring to the work of Chandrapur MLA Kishor Jorgewar, Bawankule expressed confidence in his leadership. He said Jorgewar is capable, and that if graduates back his appeal, he can strongly work to take their issues to the government and get them resolved through the graduates' constituency MLA. For this reason, Bawankule asked party workers and graduate voters to take an active part in securing Kohale's victory.

On the Congress's political role, Bawankule said the party was creating confusion over EVMs and other issues. According to him, the party's stand on EVMs appears to change when it wins an election. He alleged that its stand on the election process depends on convenience. He also targeted the opposition over the SIR issue. He alleged that when Mamata Banerjee's party faces defeat in West Bengal, questions are raised about the SIR process, while a different stand is taken on the same process where the Congress is in power. He commented on this double standard. He also made sharp remarks about MLA Vijay Wadettiwar.

Bawankule said the graduates' constituency election is not limited to choosing a candidate. It is a chance to give graduates' issues the right platform. He therefore appealed for the election of BJP-Mahayuti candidate Sudhakar Kohale, so that graduates' issues reach the government.

At the event, MLA Kishor Jorgewar recited a poem that energised the gathering. Its sense was: "However many fairs and functions the opponents hold, Sudhakar Kohale will still be elected! Because Chandrashekhar Bawankule is the election chief, and Anil Sole is co-chief to support him, so Sudhakar Kohale will be elected!"