22 September,2026 01:31 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
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The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced the schedule for elections to five Maharashtra Legislative Council seats, with polling set to take place on October 23.
The elections will be held for three Graduate constituencies - Aurangabad, Pune and Nagpur - and two Teachers' constituencies - Amravati and Pune. The terms of the sitting members are scheduled to end on December 6, 2026.
According to the schedule announced by the ECI, the notification for the elections will be issued on September 29. Candidates can file their nominations until October 6, while scrutiny will be completed by October 7. Polling will be held on October 23 from 8 am to 4 pm, with counting of votes scheduled for October 27.
The three Graduate constituencies currently have representatives from different parties. Aurangabad Division is represented by Bhanudasrao Satish Chavan of the NCP, Pune Division by Arun Ganpati Lad of the NCP (SP), and Nagpur Division by Congress leader Abhijit Govindrao Wanjari.
The two Teachers' constituencies are represented by Kiran Ramrao Sarnaik from Amravati Division and Congress leader Jayant Dinkar Asgaonkar from Pune Division.
Sarnaik is an Independent member who subsequently joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena as an associate member.
The five seats are elected through separate constituencies comprising registered graduates and teachers, making the contests distinct from elections to regular Assembly constituencies.
The announcement is expected to trigger discussions within the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, over candidate selection and seat allocation.
The three parties are expected to assess their organisational strength and existing support bases before deciding which constituent will contest each seat. The Graduate constituencies in particular are likely to draw attention because of the presence of an electorate comprising educated professionals and graduates.
The BJP has historically contested several Graduate constituencies, including Pune and Nagpur. Party leaders are expected to assess the possibility of reclaiming seats that it has lost in previous election cycles.
The NCP, led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, has also been preparing to consolidate its organisational presence, particularly in Pune Division. Meanwhile, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has been focusing on outreach among teachers, educators and youth groups in parts of western Maharashtra and Amravati.
Discussions over seat allocation within the Mahayuti are expected to intensify ahead of the September 29 notification. Leaders of the three parties have maintained that coordination will be important to avoid splitting the alliance's support base among multiple candidates.
"Our focus remains on presenting a united front. Each constituent party brings a distinct organisational advantage among teachers, professionals, and graduates. A joint strategy will ensure a decisive victory across all five seats," said a Mahayuti alliance source.
The alliance is expected to work on a seat-sharing arrangement before nominations begin. The final allocation will determine which party fields candidates in the five constituencies.
The opposition is also expected to begin preparations for the elections. Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress are likely to hold discussions on a joint strategy for the five constituencies.
Sources said the three parties are expected to contest the elections together under the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. The parties will have to finalise their candidates and seat-sharing arrangements before the nomination deadline.
With the election schedule now announced, both the ruling alliance and opposition parties have a limited window to complete their internal discussions.
The nomination process will begin with the issuance of the notification on September 29 and conclude on October 6. After scrutiny on October 7, candidates will enter the final phase of campaigning ahead of polling on October 23.
Counting of votes will take place on October 27, when the results of all five Maharashtra Legislative Council constituencies will be declared.
(With inputs from IANS)
