BJP Faces Rebel Threat In Pune Graduates’ Seat After Naming Smita Jadhav
Pune, 5th October 2026: The BJP has sprung a surprise by securing the Pune Division Graduates’ constituency from its Mahayuti ally NCP and fielding Dr Smita Yogesh Jadhav for the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections. The party now faces the challenge of containing possible rebellion among aspirants before the nomination process closes on October 6.
The Pune Graduates’ constituency has traditionally been considered a BJP stronghold. Former Union minister Prakash Javadekar and Maharashtra higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil have represented the constituency in the past. However, the BJP suffered a setback in the 2020 election when then-NCP candidate Arun Lad defeated BJP nominee Sangram Deshmukh.
The BJP has since been keen to regain the seat. With the constituency going to the BJP in the Mahayuti’s seat-sharing arrangement this time, the party has made its first move by announcing Jadhav as its candidate. The BJP’s central leadership announced Jadhav along with candidates for the Nagpur Graduates’ and Pune Teachers’ constituencies.
The move, however, has reportedly caused discontent among aspirants in the BJP and its alliance partners. The party will now have to work to prevent rebel candidates from entering the fray. With the nomination deadline approaching, any rebel who files a nomination could have to be persuaded to withdraw during the withdrawal period.
Several BJP aspirants had been preparing for the Pune Graduates’ seat. The name of Sharad Lad, son of sitting MLC Arun Lad, had been discussed as a potential BJP candidate. Lad had joined the BJP and begun preparations for the constituency.
The BJP had also appointed voter-registration heads for the three Graduates’ constituencies. State general secretary Rajesh Pande was given responsibility for Pune, while MLA Sanjay Kenekar and Sudhakar Kohle were assigned the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur constituencies respectively. Kohle has now been selected as the BJP candidate from Nagpur Graduates.
Pande, who had been aspiring for a seat in the Legislative Council, has again been denied an opportunity. His name had also figured during discussions for the Pune Local Authorities’ constituency election. However, the seat went to the NCP under the Mahayuti’s seat-sharing arrangement, with the party fielding Vikram Kakade, son of former BJP MP Sanjay Kakade.
The Pune Graduates’ constituency is among five seats going to polls on October 23, with counting scheduled for October 27. The other seats are the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur Graduates’ constituencies and the Pune and Amravati Teachers’ constituencies.
