Pune: In preparation for the upcoming legislative assembly elections and amidst the Maratha versus OBC reservation dispute, former MLA Yogesh Tilekar has been nominated as the OBC representative for the Maharashtra Legislative Council. This nomination signifies a political comeback for Tilekar.
The elections for 11 seats in the Legislative Council are set to take place soon. The BJP has announced its candidates for five of these seats, including Yogesh Tilekar, a former MLA and former state president of the BJP OBC Youth Front, from Pune. Tilekar's nomination comes at a time of heightened tensions over the Maratha-OBC reservation issue, adding a strategic dimension to his selection.
Within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, seats held by incumbent MLAs are being allocated to their respective parties. In the Hadapsar assembly constituency, NCP MLA Chetan Tupe is currently in office, indicating that the constituency will likely remain under the NCP's Ajit Pawar faction in the upcoming elections.
This development reduces the chances of the BJP securing the Hadapsar seat. Consequently, the BJP has decided to nominate Tilekar for the Legislative Council to ensure his political rehabilitation as a prominent OBC leader.
This move also strengthens the political positions of the current NCP MLA Chetan Tupe and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) city president Nana Bhangire in the Hadapsar constituency, as both are now seen as strong contenders in the upcoming legislative assembly elections.
NCP Likely to Retain Pimpri Constituency too
The Pimpri constituency might remain under the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the upcoming elections, following the nomination of Amit Gorkhe from BJP for the Legislative Council.
Gorkhe, who had initially prepared to contest from Pimpri, has now received a nomination for the Legislative Council, making his election almost certain given the BJP's strength in the assembly.
With Gorkhe's shift to the Legislative Council, the Pimpri constituency is expected to be allocated to the NCP within the MahaYuti alliance, enhancing the NCP's chances of retaining this crucial seat.