Rahuri Bypoll 2026: BJP’s Akshay Kardile Takes Massive Lead, NCP (SP) Faces Setback

Pune: Akshay Kardile of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken a decisive lead in the Rahuri Assembly by-election, putting him firmly on course for victory. By the end of the 14th round of counting, he had secured around 70,000 votes and was leading by a margin of nearly 58,000 votes.

His closest rival, Govind Mokate of the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP), has received around 12,000 votes so far and is trailing by a huge margin. The trends indicate a major setback for the Sharad Pawar-led faction in this constituency.

The by-election has turned into a clear one-sided contest as counting progresses. Early leads have now widened significantly, reducing suspense around the final outcome.

The Rahuri bypoll was necessitated after the death of sitting BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile in October 2025. The BJP fielded his son, Akshay Kardile, aiming to retain the seat and continue its hold in the Ahilyanagar region.

The contest was initially expected to be closely fought. However, a major twist came on the last day of nominations when Prajakt Tanpure decided not to file his nomination. This sparked speculation about an unopposed election, but the contest eventually saw seven candidates in the fray.

High Political Importance…

Apart from Kardile and Mokate, Santosh Cholke of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi is also contesting, along with four independent candidates.

The bypoll held political importance for both the BJP and the NCP-SP. For the BJP, it was a prestige battle to retain a stronghold. For the opposition, it was an opportunity to regain ground in the region.

Voting took place on April 23, with a turnout of around 55%. Counting began at 8 am on May 4 and is being conducted in multiple rounds.

With Kardile’s lead now crossing 50,000 votes, the result appears almost certain. The outcome is expected to strengthen the BJP’s position in Ahilyanagar district and deliver a political blow to the opposition bloc.