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Kunal Tilak, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Maharashtra spokesperson and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Maharashtra vice-president, will be contesting the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections from Ward No. 25 (Shaniwar Peth–Mahatma Phule Mandai).
Tilak himself is yet to make the official announcement, but supporters have posted this on social media, which the BJP leader has shared.
This comes after the draw for the reservation of seats for the PMC elections was held on Tuesday at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch. As per the draw, 83 of the 165 seats have been reserved for women. Among the 83 seats, 48 fall under the open category, 23 are reserved for OBC, 11 for Scheduled Caste (SC) and one for Scheduled Tribe (ST). Among men, 48 seats are open, 22 OBC, 11 SC, and one ST.
In Ward No. 25, the four seats are reserved for OBC (Women), OBC General, General (Women), and General.
Meanwhile, speaking to The Free Press Journal in May this year, Tilak said he was eager to contest the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls from the Kasba Peth constituency. However, the BJP chose to give the ticket to Hemant Rasane instead.
"I wanted to contest the Assembly polls, but I didn't get the ticket. The next election is five years away, so I've decided to contest the PMC polls instead. I need to start somewhere, right? I must earn the mandate of the people and then prove my performance to my party," Tilak said.
When asked whether contesting the corporation polls would be perceived as a step down, he said, "No, not at all. I don't think it's a step down for me. Instead, I consider it a stepping stone in my political career. If you look at the BJP's structure, there's a natural progression: a corporator becomes an MLA, an MLA becomes an MP, and so on. Only a few lucky ones get to become MLAs or MPs directly."
Asked about the key issues he plans to highlight to voters in the lead-up to the polls, Tilak said he presents a different type of politics — the politics of development. "I am young, educated, and honest. I come from a family that has maintained its integrity. I have already been speaking on developmental works, traffic, roads, and restoration of old properties in my constituency and will continue to do so. Besides, by being accessible, I will continue to gain the confidence of the people," he concluded.
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