Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Central Election Committee on Wednesday announced Akshay Shivajirao Kardile as the nominee for the by-election in Maharashtra’s Rahuri Assembly constituency.

The by-election was necessitated following the death of BJP legislator and former Minister Shivajirao Kardile in October last year. Shivajirao Kardile was a veteran political leader with his presence in the district and state cooperative sector. Akshay is the son of the late leader.

The polling is slated for April 23 and counting on May 4.

The selection of Akshay Kardile signals the BJP’s intent to consolidate its influence in the Ahilyanagar district, previously known as Ahmednagar district. Rahuri has historically been a competitive seat, often seeing intense contests between the traditional powerhouses of Maharashtra politics.

By naming Kardile, the party appears to be leaning into local leadership to navigate the specific regional dynamics of the Rahuri segment. The party also seems keen to capitalise on the sympathy wave to take on the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which has yet to arrive at a consensus on the candidate for the by-election.

Former NCP(SP) Minister Prajakt Tanpure has evinced interest in contesting the by-election but has yet to get a green signal from the party leadership and also from the MVA allies, including Congress and Shiv Sena.

This by-election is viewed as a critical litmus test for the party’s standing in the state’s Legislative Assembly ahead of broader electoral cycles.

Meanwhile, the by-election in Baramati is also slated for April 23 following the untimely demise of former Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar.

NCP will field Ajit Pawar’s wife and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, hoping that she will be elected unopposed. The Congress party has said that it is keen to field its nominee, but has not yet made a formal announcement, as there are hardly any takers for nomination.

The political observers said that the elections in Rahuri and Baramati are a significant litmus test for both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) following major shifts in the state’s political landscape.

The by-elections are taking place after the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena showed a strong performance in the local body elections recently concluded in January.

–IANS

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