BJP fields Sudhakar Kohale for Nagpur graduates' seat; Anil Sole, Raman Senad to file as rebels

The BJP has nominated Sudhakar Kohale for the Nagpur Graduates' constituency election. He will face the Congress's Abhijit Wanjari. The constituency is considered highly prestigious, and the BJP has made extensive preparations to win it.

Several party members had wanted to contest. The BJP, however, placed its trust in Kohale, a teacher by profession who has remained loyal to the party, and gave him the ticket.

Another aspirant from the constituency is former MLA Anil Sole. Since the party did not field him, he has taken a rebel stance. Sole is reportedly filing his nomination today afternoon as an independent.

After Sole, Raman Senad, an office-bearer of the Sangh Parivar, has also rebelled. Even though the BJP has announced Kohale's candidature, Senad is also reportedly filing his nomination today.

Senad is the Vidarbha joint regional head of the Mandir Aayam of the Vishva Hindu Parishad. He said: "I have worked in the Sangh Parivar for the past fifty years and in the BJP for thirty years. I sought a ticket many times, but the party denied it. Even so, I continued to work sincerely for the party and the Sangh." Senad said he is filing his nomination now at the insistence of party workers.

The rebellions have increased the BJP's headache in the Nagpur division graduates' constituency. How the party placates the rebels will be important to watch.

Meanwhile, the official candidate, Sudhakar Kohale, will file his nomination today. He will do so at 10 am at the divisional commissioner's office in Nagpur, in the presence of Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and other office-bearers from the Nagpur division.

Kohale said: "The party has placed its trust in me for the Nagpur Graduates' constituency, and this is the reward for loyalty to the party. Last time, the party lost this constituency after 57 years, and now it is time to take revenge. Because of the way we carried out voter registration, victory will be ours."

The schedule for the Legislative Council election is as follows. The notification was issued on September 29, 2026. The last date for filing nominations is October 6, 2026. Scrutiny of nominations will be held on October 7, 2026, and the last date for withdrawal is October 9, 2026. Voting will take place on October 23, 2026, from 8 am to 4 pm, and counting and results will follow on October 27, 2026.