Pimpri-Chinchwad: In a shocking incident that marred the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Elections 2026 on Thursday (15th January) evening, the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) and workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had a scuffle.
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The chaos erupted in ward number 20 (Sant Tukaram Nagar, Kasarwadi) of Pimpri-Chinchwad city. SEC officials reportedly had a tip-off that a female candidate of the BJP contesting this election had illegal liquor stock inside her home.
The BJP candidate alleges that the SEC, along with opposition leaders, forced their way into the house of the woman candidate and vandalised it. The woman candidate was joined by BJP MLC Uma Khapre and over 100 workers from the BJP as she went to the Sant Tukaram Nagar Police Station to demand action.
BJP workers and MLC Khapre reportedly put pressure on the police department to register a case against the opposition party and officials of the SEC. They alleged that they didn't give prior notice while probing a woman’s house, and also no female official was present with them.
The workers of the saffron party had turned aggressive; however, as things stand, Pimpri-Chinchwad Police are still determining what step to take further.
Sujata Palande is the BJP candidate for the “C” seat in Ward No. 20, which is reserved for General Women. She is up against Varsha Jagtap from Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sweety Malatpure from Shiv Sena, and Sanjana Yadav from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).
According to available details, an SEC flying squad received information that liquor was being stored at Palande’s residence. Based on this tip-off, the squad entered her home to conduct a search.
Allegations of Intimidation
Sujata Palande objected to the search, claiming that along with the election squad, workers from the opposition party, Ajit Pawar-led NCP -- identified as Suresh Khatri, Harpreet Singh, and Ravi Khatri also entered her house.
She further alleged that the individuals ransacked her belongings in an attempt to commit robbery. She also alleges that family members were threatened and intimidated. The squad entered her home despite the absence of female officials or female police officers in the team.
Following the incident, several BJP leaders, including MLC Uma Khapre and former Pradhikaran Chairman Sadashiv Khade, arrived at Sant Tukaram Nagar. Palande questioned the police about how the squad was allowed entry without following proper protocols regarding female presence.
The chaos eventually moved to the Sant Tukaram Nagar Police Station. While Palande accused the police of hesitating to file her complaint, officials stated they were verifying legal aspects before registering a First Information Report (FIR). The process of filing the case continued late into the night.
