Maha Council polls: Congress rebels withdraw in three places

Congress rebels in Solapur and Akola-Washim-Buldhana local body seats have withdrawn from the fray for the December 27 biennial elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
Today was the last day of withdrawal.
Former Congress MLA Dilip Mane withdrew his nomination in Solapur while Shyam Rathi backed out in Akola-Washim-Buldhana.
In Kolhapur, former minister Prakash Awade who had filed papers as an independent also backed out, party sources said.
However, Jayant Sasane, another former Congress MLA, couldn't withdraw his nomination in Ahmednagar because he reached late, while NCP rebel Prasad Lad did not withdraw his papers in Mumbai.
BJP is supporting the sitting Kolhapur MLC Mahadeo Mahadik, a Congressman, who is in the fray this time as an independent. In Solapur, BJP is backing Prashant Paricharak, an NCP rebel.

Apart from fielding Deepak Salunke and Arun Jagtap, both sitting MLCs, in Solapur and Ahmednagar, respectively, the NCP has given nomination to Ravi Sakpal in Akola-Washim-Buldhana.

Congress has fielded former minister Satej Patil in Kolhapur in place of Mahadik, while retaining Amrish Patel in Dhule-Nandurbar and Bhai Jagtap in Mumbai.
From the Shiv Sena camp, Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam and sitting MLC Gopikishan Bajoria are in the fray in Mumbai and Akola-Washim-Buldhana, respectively, while Shashikant Gade is party's candidate in Ahmednagar.
In Nagpur, Congress's Ashok Singh Chauhan has withdrawn from the race facilitating win of BJP's Girish Vyas. Manoj Kotak, BJP group leader in the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), is the saffron party's candidate in Mumbai and Gopal Kele in Dhule-Nandurbar.

The eight MLCs in the biennial elections are to be elected from local self-government body constituencies. These seats are: Nagpur, Akola-Washim-Buldhana (both in Vidarbha), Solapur, Kolhapur (western Maharashtra), Ahmednagar, Dhule-Nandurbar in North Maharashtra and two seats in Mumbai.
The sitting members are Rajendra Mulak, Gopikishan Bajoriya, Deepak Salunke, Mahadeo Mahadik, Arun Jagtap, Amrish Patel, Ramdas Kadam and Bhai Jagtap, respectively.