Siddarth Dhende is new deputy mayor of Pune Municipal Corporation

Senior RPI (A) leader Siddarth Dhende was elected unopposed as the deputy mayor of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), after Congress Corporator Lata Raguru withdrew from the fray ahead of the election process. The post had been vacant since the death of Navnath Kamble, who was elected to the post last month.

Dhende (53) was elected as a corporator for the third time in the recently-held civic polls. He was elected on a BJP seat, after his party, RPI(A), entered into a a pre-poll alliance with the BJP.

He has been a member of standing committee in the past and had held various responsibilities of the city unit of RPI (A). A practicing doctor, Dhende holds MBBS and MD degrees. He received his school education from Kendriya Vidyalaya in Lohegaon and had late joined BJ Medical College.