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This is an archive article published on November 7, 2024

Express Interview | Dhangekar doesn’t belong to Congress, his ideology keeps changing every election: Kamal Vyavahare

Kamal Vyavahare spoke to Soham Shah about why she resigned from the Congress.

Kamal VyavahareKamal Vyavahare resigned from the Congress party after it re-nominated Ravindra Dhangekar from the seat and refused to give her a ticket. (X)

Kamal Vyavahare, who was elected as the first woman mayor of Pune city in the 1990s, has filed her nomination as an Independent candidate from the Kasba Peth Assembly constituency for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections. She resigned from the Congress party after it re-nominated Ravindra Dhangekar from the seat and refused to give her a ticket. Dhangekar won the Kasba Peth bypoll in 2023 and is the sitting MLA.

Vyavahare, 68, who was born in Sangola taluka’s Wadegaon, has been active in politics for the last four decades.

Vyavahare, the ex-general secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee, spoke to Soham Shah about why she decided to resign from the Congress.

Q: Did you have any internal discussions in the party before resigning?

Vyavahare: I have not rebelled but first resigned from the Congress party and then filed my nomination. I went to discuss [the issue] with almost all senior party leaders in the state but unfortunately, no one responded.

Q: Ravindra Dhangekar won the Kasba Peth seat by beating the BJP after many years. It was said to be an important victory. Why did you feel the Congress should not nominate him again?

Vyavahare: Dhangekar alone is not responsible for the defeat of the BJP in Kasba Peth. All of us as a team worked hard to achieve that goal. Dhangekar does not belong to the Congress party… his ideology has kept changing every election and everyone knows that.

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I am the only woman to be elected as a corporator five times. Was that not enough for my party to think about me rather than importing a candidate from a different ideology and party? Every party speaks about women’s participation in active politics, and the Congress does too. But a shocking fact is that the Congress has not given a ticket to any woman for an Assembly election in Pune. This is the main reason why I chose to fight this election independently.

Q: What are the issues in Kasba Peth that you promise to solve if elected?

Vyavahare: Kasba has been facing the same issues for 40 years and nothing has changed: old structures around Shaniwar Wada, narrow lanes, women’s safety, lack of toilets for women, traffic jams, and slum issues.

Q: What is your ideology behind fighting this election?

Vyavahare: I have actively been doing social work for the last 40 years and my ideology has been based on people’s development and their well-being. It remains the same today.

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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