BJP names Bawankule, Mungantiwar to lead Nagpur graduates' seat campaign for Sudhakar Kohle

The Legislative Council seat from the Nagpur division graduates' constituency had slipped out of the BJP's hands. The party has now begun full preparations to win it back. After Sudhakar Kohle was declared the official BJP-Mahayuti candidate, state president Ravindra Chavan announced several key organisational appointments.

Revenue Minister Bawankule has been made the election in-charge for the seat. Former finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has been appointed Mahayuti coordinator. Election planning to secure Kohle's victory will rest with these two senior leaders. Ministers of State Pankaj Bhoyar and Parinay Fuke have been made election co-in-charges.

MLA Praveen Datke has been made head of the Nagpur graduates' election. Sudhir Dive will be election co-head and will oversee poll coordination in Nagpur Rural, Wardha, Chandrapur city and rural, Gadchiroli, Bhandara and Gondia. Girish Deshmukh has been made election co-head for Nagpur city. Dr Upendra Kothekar has been appointed organisation contact head for the Vidarbha region.

The leaders have been given the responsibility of giving election management a large and effective organisational form. For Kohle's victory, the emphasis will be on wide-scale outreach to voters, organising graduate voters and poll planning down to the booth level.

The BJP-Mahayuti plans for all office-bearers, elected representatives, workers and various frontal organisations to reach graduate voters together and make a concerted effort to win. On the occasion, a resolve was also expressed to contest the Nagpur graduates' constituency on the strength of the organisation and to deliver victory to the BJP-Mahayuti.

Meanwhile, the number of those who have filed nominations for the Nagpur division graduates' seat has reached 65. The last date for filing papers was October 6. According to information from the department, 35 nominations were filed in all, while the total nominations submitted so far stand at 65. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 9. Only after that will it be clear how many candidates remain in the fray.

The BSP has decided not to contest this election. Even so, former IRS officer Sanjay Thul filed his nomination, arriving with BSP workers. BSP state general secretary, state secretary, district president, city president and key office-bearers and workers of BAMCEF were present on the occasion.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi city president Mangesh Wankhede also filed his nomination papers. He also completed the required process of enrolling his name on the electoral roll as a graduate voter. He said he is contesting to increase graduate voters' active participation in the democratic process and to give a proper platform to issues related to educated youth, employment, education, social justice and constitutional values.