India, April 29 -- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its candidates for the upcoming biennial elections to the state legislative council, rewarding loyalists for the five seats it is contesting of the nine being contested in Maharashtra, and one for a byelection.

The party has announced the candidature of Sunil Karjatkar, Madhavi Naik, Pramod Jathar, Sanjay Bhende and Vivek Kolhe for the biennial elections scheduled for May 12. Pradnya Satav will be the party's candidate for the byelection necessitated by her own resignation after she switched from the Congress to the BJP in December last year. The byelection will be the sixth seat being contested by the BJP and the tenth being contested in the poll.

Nine council members, i...