MUMBAI: Congress nominee Pradnya Satav, wife of former Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Satav who died earlier this year, is all set to get elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council after the opposition BJP withdrew its candidate against her in a bypoll.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Monday said party leaders met with BJP leaders in the state and urged them to withdraw their candidate Sanjay Kenekar, and their request was accepted by the opposition party.
The by-election was necessitated after the death of sitting Congress MLC Sharad Ranpise.
"The state has a tradition that whenever there is an election post the demise of any member, it is generally held without any contest. We follow it and even they (the BJP) do the same."
"They (BJP) have withdrawn their candidate and she (Pradnya Satav) has been elected unopposed," Patole told PTI.
"Congratulations & best wishes to Dr. Pradnya Rajiv Satav for being elected unopposed in bye-election of the Legislative Council. We thank MVA partners for their strong support and the BJP for withdrawing its candidate and allowing the elections to be held unopposed," Congress minister Balasaheb Thorat tweeted.
Rajeev Satav (46) died in Pune earlier this year due to COVID-19 complications.
He was known to be close to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and represented the Hingoli Lok Sabha seat from 2014-19.
He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2020.
A few months ago, senior Congress leader Rajani Patil was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from the seat which fell vacant due to the death of Rajeev Satav.
At that also the BJP withdrew its candidate from the bypoll.