Bhartiya Janata Party MLC candidate is from Congress family which gave state two CMs

NAGPUR: Nilesh Naik of

Yavatmal

finds a place in the list of five nominees released by BJP state president Raosaheb Danve for the biennial elections for the state legislative council. The party has once again ignored the claims of Ramdas Athawale-led RPI.


Animal husbandry minister

Mahadeo Jankar

, who is from another alliance partner Rashtriya Samaj Party, has been renominated from the BJP quota along with Vijay Girkar. The new faces along with Naik are Ram Patil Ratolikar and Ramesh Narayan Patil.

Ratolikar is Nanded rural unit president of the BJP while Patil is a prominent leader of Koli community. Naik, a former president of the Yavatmal Zilla Parishad, belongs to the well-known Naik family which has been flag-bearer of the Congress party and has given two chief ministers — Vasantrao and Sudhakarrao — to the state. Nilesh joined the BJP a couple of years ago.

Sitting MLAs are voters for this election for 11 MLC seats polling for which will be held on July 16 during the ongoing session of the state legislature here. Thursday is the last day for filing of nomination papers.

The BJP has the strength to get 5 elected while Sena can get two. The Sena is nominating Anil Parab and Manisha Kayande. The NCP is fielding Babajani Durrani while Peasants and Workers’ Party candidate Jayant Patil will also be contesting.

The Congress has announced nomination of Wajahat Mirza of Yavatmal and Sharad Ranpise of Pune for its quota of two seats. The move to deny another chance to Manikaro Thakre, a prominent OBC face of the party, has angered a section of the party.

Ex-MLA Sevak Waghaye of Sakoli, who is also working president of OBC Mahasangh, has said the move to deny Thakre the ticket would not go well with the OBC community which is asserting for its rights.