Tejas Navale
Pune, November 23, 2024: The much-anticipated Maharashtra Assembly election results were announced today, delivering a resounding victory for the Mahayuti coalition across the state. Defying exit poll predictions of a tight contest, the BJP-led Mahayuti secured a decisive majority, leaving the opposition Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) struggling for traction.
The sweep extended to the suburban region of Pimpri-Chinchwad, where Mahayuti clinched all three assembly seats—Pimpri, Chinchwad, and Bhosari—cementing their dominance in the area and leaving no room for the MVA to gain ground.
In Pimpri, the contest drew attention for its unique NCP vs. NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) dynamic. Sitting MLA Anna Bansode, representing the NCP, was pitted against Sulakshana Shilwant Dhar, fielded by the NCP (SP). Despite a lower voter turnout in this constituency compared to others, Bansode emerged victorious, securing 109,239 votes against Dhar’s 72,575, winning by a margin of 36,664 votes.
Chinchwad witnessed a high-stakes three-way battle between BJP’s Shankar Jagtap, NCP (SP)’s Rahul Kalate, and independent candidate Bhausaheb Bhoir, a rebel from the NCP. Speculation was rife that Bhoir’s candidacy could influence the outcome, especially after Rahul Kalate’s independent run in the 2023 by-election resulted in the Mahavikas Aghadi’s Nana Kate losing. However, Jagtap won decisively, garnering 235,323 votes to Kalate’s 131,458, with Bhoir trailing far behind at just 4,323 votes. Jagtap’s victory margin stood at an impressive 103,865 votes.
Bhosari delivered yet another dramatic contest. The NCP (SP) party strategically inducted former NCP city president Ajit Gavhane and fielded him against BJP sitting MLA Mahesh Landge. Despite opposition parties rallying around Gavhane to unseat Landge, the BJP leader retained his seat with a comfortable margin of 63,765 votes. Landge received 213,624 votes, while Gavhane secured 149,859.
