The battle for Pune is intensifying as Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) takes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) head-on in the civic polls.
Several high-stakes and closely watched contests are expected across the city. While parties such as the Congress, Shiv Sena, NCP-SP, Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) are not major contenders this time, they are likely to influence outcomes in select wards.
Here’s a look at 13 key battles that could shape the outcome of the election:
1. Ward No. 5 (Kalyaninagar - Wadgaonsheri): Narayan Galande (BJP) vs Sachin Bhagat (NCP)
2. Ward No. 7 (Gokhalenagar - Wakadewadi): Rashmi Bhosale (BJP) vs Datta Bahirat (NCP)
3. Ward No. 8 (Aundh - Bopodi): Sunny Nimhan (BJP) vs Prakash Dhore (NCP)
4. Ward No. 9 (Sus - Baner - Pashan): Ganesh Kalamkar (BJP) vs Baburao Chandere (NCP)
5. Ward No. 9 (Sus - Baner - Pashan): Lahu Balwadkar (BJP) vs Amol Balwadkar (NCP)
6. Ward No. 12 (Shivajinagar - Model Colony): Nivedita Ekbote (BJP) vs Balasaheb Bodke (NCP)
7. Ward No. 14 (Koregaon Park - Mundhwa): Umesh Gaikwad (BJP) vs Sunil Gaikwad (NCP) vs Rajendra Wagaskar (MNS)
8. Ward No. 18 (Wanwadi - Salunkhe Vihar): Prashant Jagtap (Congress) vs Abhijeet Shivarkar (BJP)
9. Ward No. 24 (Kasba Peth - Kamala Nehru Hospital): Ganesh Bidkar (BJP) vs Pranav Dhangekar (Shiv Sena)
10. Ward No. 36 (Sahakarnagar - Padmavati): Subhash Jagtap (NCP) vs Veena Ghosh (BJP)
11. Ward No. 36 (Sahakarnagar - Padmavati): Mahesh Wabale (BJP) vs Aba Bagul (Shiv Sena)
12. Ward No. 38 (Balajinagar - Ambegaon - Katraj): Prakash Kadam (NCP) vs Vasant More (Shiv Sena-UBT) vs Swaraj Babar (Shiv Sena) vs Vyankoji Khopde (BJP)
13. Ward No. 40 (Kondhwa Budrk - Yewalewadi): Ranjana Tilekar (BJP) vs Gangadhar Badhe (NCP)
