By Tejas Navale
Pune, November 24, 2024: The Mahayuti coalition delivered a resounding victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, winning 230 out of 288 seats, decisively outpacing the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA). This landslide win extended to Pune city, where the ruling coalition clinched seven of the eight seats, leaving only the Vadgaon Sheri constituency in the opposition’s hands.
In Vadgaon Sheri, Bapusaheb Pathare of the MVA emerged victorious, defeating sitting MLA Sunil Shelke by a margin of 4,710 votes. The Mahayuti, however, dominated the rest of Pune city, with seven seats going to its fold, cementing its control over the city.
BJP Reclaims Kasba and Retains Strongholds
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the dominant partner in the Mahayuti coalition, secured six of the city’s seats, while the Hadapsar constituency was retained by Nationalist Congress Party’s (Ajit Pawar faction) Chetan Tupe. Notably, the BJP reclaimed Kasba Peth, a constituency it had lost in the 2023 by-election to Congress. Hemant Rasane restored BJP’s hold by defeating Congress’s Ravindra Dhangekar with a decisive margin of 19,423 votes.
Key Wins Across Pune City
The BJP’s sitting MLAs retained their seats in Kothrud, Shivajinagar, Parvati, Pune Cantonment, and Khadakwasla. In Shivajinagar, Siddharth Shirole defeated Congress candidate Datta Bahirat by an impressive margin of 36,702 votes, securing 84,695 votes in total. Meanwhile, in Kothrud, BJP heavyweight Chandrakant Patil crushed Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Chandrakant Mokate with a massive margin of 1,12,041 votes, amassing 1,59,234 votes.
In Parvati, veteran BJP leader Madhuri Misal secured her fourth term by defeating NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) candidate Ashwini Kadam. Misal garnered 1,18,193 votes, leaving Kadam far behind with 63,533 votes. Similarly, in Pune Cantonment, sitting MLA Sunil Kamble triumphed over Congress’s Ramesh Bagwe with a margin of over 10,000 votes, securing 76,032 votes to Bagwe’s 65,712.
A Tough Battle in Khadakwasla
The Khadakwasla constituency witnessed a three-way contest between BJP’s Bhimrao Tapkir, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction)’s Sachin Dodke, and MNS candidate Mayuresh Wanjale. Tapkir emerged victorious, securing 1,63,131 votes, while Dodke received 1,10,809 votes and Wanjale trailed with 42,897 votes.
BJP’s Dominance Solidified
The BJP’s overwhelming victory in Pune city has reaffirmed its dominance, securing six out of eight seats and reclaiming the Kasba constituency. The NCP factions each managed to secure one seat, with Ajit Pawar’s faction holding onto Hadapsar and Sharad Pawar’s faction retaining Vadgaon Sheri. The results have not only strengthened the BJP’s position in the city but also highlighted the Mahayuti’s unshakable grip over Maharashtra.
