By Tejas Navale
Pune, November 26, 2024: In what was the only woman-versus-woman battle in Pune district, BJP’s Madhuri Misal emerged victorious from the Parvati assembly constituency, defeating NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) candidate Ashwini Kadam. This marks Misal’s fourth consecutive win from the constituency, solidifying her dominance. With this decisive victory, political circles are abuzz with expectations of Misal securing her first ministerial berth in the newly formed Maharashtra government.
Initially, the BJP faced internal debates over ticket allocation for the Parvati seat as former corporator Shrinath Bhimale was seeking the party nomination for him. However, the BJP ultimately chose to back the experienced Misal, reaffirming its trust in her leadership. On the opposition side, the NCP (SP) nominated Ashwini Kadam, making it a two-party battle until a twist was introduced by Congress rebel Aba Bagul, who filed his nomination as an independent candidate.
Despite the three-way contest, Misal maintained a clear edge throughout. She secured a resounding lead of 54,660 votes, amassing a total of 1,18,193 votes. Her nearest rival, Ashwini Kadam, secured 63,533 votes, while Bagul trailed significantly with only 10,476 votes.
Misal’s strategic campaign played a crucial role in her victory. She avoided unnecessary controversy and kept her campaign low-key, focusing instead on highlighting her developmental work in the constituency. This helped her sidestep staunch opposition on the longstanding developmental issues of infrastructure, traffic problems, and the problem of public transport in her constituency out of sight and campaign on her strength.
With this emphatic win, Misal has once again cemented her political stronghold over Parvati. As she steps into her fourth term, her prospects for a ministerial position in the state cabinet appear stronger than ever.
