Pimpri-Chinchwad: A fire broke out during the victory celebrations of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate following the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) election results 2026 on Friday. The incident has left seven people severely injured in Bavdhan. The incident occurred around 5 pm at Patil Nagar when a spark from a firecracker fell on gulal (coloured powder) being sprayed as part of the celebrations.
The celebrations were being held after BJP candidate Kiran Dagade Patil was officially declared the winner from Ward 10A of the PMC around 4.30 pm by the civic administration. Dagade defeated NCP candidate Abhijeet Dagade by a huge margin, securing 29,211 votes against 9,183 votes polled by his opponent. Supporters gathered in large numbers outside the BJP candidate’s office to celebrate the victory.
According to police, some activists were spraying gulal from atop a tempo parked near the office, while firecrackers were being burst close to the vehicle. A spark from one of the firecrackers landed on the roof of the tempo and the gulal powder. Police explained that this triggered a sudden flare-up and caused panic among those present.
Seven people sustained burn injuries in the incident and were rushed to a private hospital in Bavdhan for treatment.
The injured have been identified as Ritesh Baliram Waghmare, Suraj Bisle, Aryan Pisole, Tushar Lalzhare, Riyansh Shah, Suraj Athawale, and Aditya Pisoli. Police said the victims suffered burns ranging between 4% and 17% on their faces, hands, and legs. Their condition is reported to be stable.
Ritesh Waghmare had reportedly visited the Bavdhan office of the victorious BJP candidate to congratulate him when the incident took place. The Bavdhan Police have launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and to determine whether any negligence was involved.
Meanwhile, the PMC election results were declared on Friday (16th January), a day after polling was held across the city. Of the 165 seats spread across 41 wards, the BJP secured a decisive majority by winning 123 seats, while opposition parties, including the NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), MNS, and Congress, suffered significant losses.
