Pune district: Seats that saw close contests in last elections

In the urban seats, Shivajinagar, Khadakwasla and Pune Cantonment were won by the BJP and Vadgaon Sheri and Hadapsar were won by the NCP by a margin of less than 10,000 votes.

2 min readPuneUpdated: Oct 29, 2024 10:29 PM IST

Nine of these 21 seats were won by a margin of less than 10,000 votes, making them extremely close contests. (File Photo)

Pune district has 21 Assembly constituencies, out of which 10 are rural constituencies while the urban areas of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad make up the remaining 11. In the 2019 Assembly elections in Maharashtra, the BJP had a clear advantage in the urban areas as it won eight out of the 10 seats and the undivided NCP won the remaining three. However, in rural areas it was an opposite picture with the NCP-Congress jointly winning nine out of the 10 seats and the BJP winning only one.

Nine of these 21 seats were won by a margin of less than 10,000 votes, making them extremely close contests. In the rural areas, Junnar, Indapur and Bhor were won by the NCP-Congress while Daund was won by the BJP by a margin of less than 10,000 votes. In the urban seats, Shivajinagar, Khadakwasla and Pune Cantonment were won by the BJP and Vadgaon Sheri and Hadapsar were won by the NCP by a margin of less than 10,000 votes.

It will be interesting to see how these dynamics play out in the upcoming elections as the NCP split into two factions last year. The Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP has joined hands with the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government and is contesting the elections in an alliance. Junnar MLA Atul Benke, Indapur MLA Dattatray Bharane, Vadgaon Sheri MLA Sunil Tingre and Hadapsar MLA Chetan Tupe have all joined Ajit Pawar’s faction after the split. Harshavardhan Patil, who lost Indapur to Dattatray Bharane on a BJP ticket in 2019, has joined the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP and has been nominated to contest from Indapur.

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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