Nagpur/Chandrapur/Yavatmal: BJP candidate Arun Lakhani, whose son is engaged to NCP MP Supriya Sule's daughter, is poised to be elected unopposed to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the Wardha-Chandrapur-Gadchiroli Local Authorities constituency. This development follows the withdrawal of rival candidates on the last day of nomination withdrawal, Thursday.
Rivals Back Out
Lakhani's path was cleared after Congress nominee Shailesh Agrawal and independent candidate Sudhirchand Kothari pulled out of the race. Agrawal explained that the Congress lacked the numbers to remain competitive. "We do not have numbers on our side. We initially prepared to build necessary support, but many of our elected representatives, particularly those from economically weaker tribal areas, moved away from us. More members left even after the nomination was filed," he said. Agrawal added that staying in the contest would have only invited horse-trading and unnecessary expenditure. Kothari, originally from the NCP (Ajit Pawar), stated that he withdrew on the directions of senior party functionaries, including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and Subodh Mohite, who emphasized the need for Mahayuti unity.
Another Unopposed Win in Yavatmal
Lakhani is not the only Nagpur-based nominee left alone in the electoral ring. Former MLC and Shiv Sena (Shinde) functionary Dushyant Chaturvedi is also set to win unopposed from the Yavatmal Local Authorities Constituency, where 446 municipal councillors were eligible to vote. Dushyant is the son of former Congress minister Satish Chaturvedi, who remains active in the grand old party.
Withdrawals in Yavatmal
In Yavatmal, three nominations were withdrawn to clear Chaturvedi's path. BJP district coordinator Nitin Bhutada, who had filed as an independent rebel, withdrew citing 'Mahayuti dharma'. Sajid Beg of NCP (Ajit Pawar) and Syed Farooq, a close supporter of senior Congress functionary Manikrao Thakre, also withdrew from the race. In another surprise, Congress nominee Sahebrao Kamble pulled out on Wednesday. The seat had earlier been the subject of a tug-of-war between BJP and Sena (Shinde) before being allotted to the Shinde faction, with former MLC Chaturvedi finally picked over local aspirant Sheetal Sanjay Rathod. Former minister Madan Yerawar, cabinet minister Sanjay Rathod, and Shiv Sena coordinator Parag Pingale were credited with persuading independents to withdraw.
Kamble said he stepped aside due to numbers. "I consider myself fortunate that the party reposed faith in a worker like me and gave me the opportunity to contest," he said. However, Congress district president Sachin Naik attacked the move, saying Kamble "betrayed the party" by withdrawing without consulting the leadership, calling it "disrobing of democracy."
Contests in Other Seats
Contests remain alive on three other Vidarbha seats. In Bhandara-Gondia, BJP's Avinash Brahmankar faces independents Naresh Ishwarkar and Sachin Kumbhalkar. In Amravati, BJP's Pravin Pote, Congress's Harshjeet Deshmukh, and VBA's Nilesh Vishwakarma are in the fray after independent Prashant Mahalle's withdrawal. In the Nagpur Council byelection, necessitated by Chandrashekhar Bawankule's elevation, BJP's Dr. Rajiv Potdar faces Congress's Atul Londhe in a straight contest.
Polling Schedule
Polling, where required, is on June 18, and counting will take place on June 22.
