Rahuri Bypoll 2026: Akshay Kardile Wins by 1,12,587 Votes, Retains BJP Stronghold

Pune: Akshay Kardile of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a decisive victory in the Rahuri Assembly by-election, defeating Govind Mokate of Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) by a margin of 1,12,587 votes.

Kardile maintained a steady lead from the very first round of counting, including postal ballots, and carried that advantage through all 27 rounds. He polled 1,40,093 votes, while Mokate secured 27,506 votes.

The by-election saw a total of seven candidates in the fray. Among them was Santosh Eknath Cholake from the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), led by Prakash Ambedkar, who managed 5,690 votes by the final round. Independent candidate Raosaheb Sadaram Kheware managed to get 7,299 votes by the end.

The contest was necessitated after the death of the sitting BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile last year. The BJP fielded his son, Akshay Kardile, to retain the family’s hold over the constituency, which has long been considered a stronghold of the Kardile family.

After his victory, Kardile said the result reflects the goodwill and trust built by his father over three decades. He said voters have now placed similar faith in him as he prepares to enter the Assembly for the first time.

Unopposed Elections Were Hoped…

The BJP had initially hoped for an uncontested election. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had appealed to the Opposition to respect the convention followed after the death of a sitting MLA. However, when the contest went ahead, the party deployed its full campaign machinery.

The race became easier for Kardile after Prajakt Tanpure, seen as a strong contender, decided not to contest after discussions with BJP leaders.

Vikhe Patil & Sangram Jagtap Campaigned…

Senior leaders, including Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Sangram Jagtap, actively campaigned for Kardile. Jagtap, who is also Kardile’s brother-in-law, holds significant influence in the region.

The Rahuri constituency includes parts of the Rahuri, Ahilyanagar, and Pathardi tehsils. Party leaders said support from villages in Pathardi tehsil, known for backing the BJP, played a key role in consolidating Kardile’s victory.

With this result, the BJP has retained an important seat in Ahilyanagar district, while the opposition faces a setback in its attempt to regain ground in the region.