BJP announces candidates for Bihar and Maharashtra Legislative Council bypolls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its candidates for the upcoming Legislative Council by-elections in Bihar and Maharashtra. The party also declared five names for the biennial Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, which are also scheduled to take place in May.

The announcement was made after approval from the BJP’s Central Election Committee. These elections are important because they will decide representation in the Upper Houses of the two state legislatures. The party hopes to strengthen its political position in both Bihar and Maharashtra through these contests.

The bypolls for vacant seats in Bihar and Maharashtra will be held on May 12. Along with that, Maharashtra will also witness biennial elections for multiple seats in the Legislative Council.

Candidates named for Bihar and Maharashtra

For the Bihar Legislative Council by-election, the BJP has selected Surya Kumar Sharma, also known as Arvind Sharma. He will contest from the Bhojpur-cum-Buxar Local Authorities' Constituency.

This seat became vacant after Janata Dal (United) leader Radha Charan Sah resigned. He left the Council after being elected to the Bihar Assembly from Sandesh constituency in 2025. The bypoll will now decide who will fill the remaining term.

For the Maharashtra Legislative Council by-election, the BJP has chosen Dr Pradnya Rajeev Satav as its candidate. The party sees this election as an opportunity to maintain and expand its presence in the state legislature.

The BJP leadership said that these names were selected after internal discussions and review of political factors in both states.

Apart from the bypolls, the BJP also announced five candidates for the Maharashtra biennial Legislative Council elections.

The five candidates are:

• Sunil Karjatkar

• Madhavi Naik

• Sanjay Bhende

• Vivek Kolhe

• Pramod Jathar

These candidates come from different political and regional backgrounds, showing the party’s strategy of balancing experience, organisation work, and local influence.

Sunil Karjatkar is known as a senior BJP worker. He has played an important role in planning election strategies in earlier state elections. He was also once considered close to late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan.

Madhavi Naik is currently a general secretary in the Maharashtra BJP unit. She belongs to Thane and has been active in party organisation work.

Sanjay Bhende is known in Nagpur political circles. He handled campaign management for Union Minister Nitin Gadkari during the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He is also serving as chairperson of Nagpur Urban Cooperative Bank.

Vivek Kolhe comes from a political family. He is the son of former BJP MLA Snehalata Kolhe. She did not contest the 2024 Assembly election because the Kopargaon seat in Ahilyanagar district was allotted to alliance partner Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Pramod Jathar is a former BJP MLA from Sindhudurg and has remained active in state politics.

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Election dates and political importance

The Maharashtra Legislative Council elections are scheduled for May 12. The last date to file nominations is April 30. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on May 2, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until May 4.

Voting will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on May 12. Counting of votes will begin at 5 pm the same day. The full election process is expected to be completed by May 13.

In Bihar, the by-election for the Bhojpur-cum-Buxar Local Authorities' Constituency will also take place on May 12.

According to the election schedule:

• Notification was issued on April 16

• Last date for nominations was April 23

• Scrutiny took place on April 24

• Withdrawal of candidature ends on April 27

• Voting on May 12

• Counting on May 14

• Process ends on May 15

These elections are politically significant because Legislative Councils play an important role in state lawmaking. Though they are the Upper House and not directly elected by the public in the same way as Assemblies, they influence debates, legislation, and policy decisions.

For the BJP, these contests are also a test of organisational strength. In Maharashtra, the party is trying to maintain influence after recent alliance changes and shifting political equations. In Bihar, every seat matters as parties prepare for future Assembly battles.

Political experts believe the BJP’s candidate selection reflects a mix of caste balance, regional representation, loyalty, and experience. Choosing party workers along with known political faces may help strengthen internal unity.

The coming weeks will now see campaigning, alliance calculations, and political negotiations. With polling day approaching, attention will remain on whether the BJP can convert its organisational strength into electoral success in both states.

The results of these elections may not change governments directly, but they will offer an early signal about political momentum ahead of larger battles in Bihar and Maharashtra.