‘Gaonwallahs’ to dominate PCMC House again; Barnes, Jagtaps, Kates, Landges and other relatives to have 100 corporators

The six Barne corporators are from the adjoining wards of Thergaon Gaonthan-Sainathnagar, Samarth Colony, Duttnagar, Mhatobanagar, and Gujarnagar. Of these, two corporators are from the BJP, two from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and two from Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.

In Prabhag Number 23, Tanaji Barne (BJP) defeated Vishal Barne (NCP) by over 1,700 votes. In the same seat, Santosh Barne (Shiv Sena) secured 2,389 votes, Yogita Barne (NCP) defeated Sonali Gade (BJP) by over 400 votes, and Abhishek Barne (BJP) defeated Pravin Barne (NCP) by over 3,000 votes.

In the adjoining Prabhag Number 24, Vishhwajit Barne (Shiv Sena), son of Maval MP Shrirang Barne, defeated Siddheshwar Barne (BJP) by over 3,000 votes. In the same Prabhag, Maya Barne (NCP) defeated Karishma Barne, an Independent candidate backed by the BJP, by over 1,000 votes. Shrirang’s nephew, Nilesh Barne (Shiv Sena), defeated Ganesh Gujar, an Independent candidate backed by the BJP, by nearly 8,000 votes.

“I was confident that my son would win…He has been working for the Sena for the past few years. He heads Sena’s youth wing in western Maharashtra,” MP Shrirang Barne said.

The Kates will have five corporators in the PCMC House. Swati Kate (NCP) defeated BJP’s Pratibha Jawalkar in Dapodi–Kasarwadi, Prabhag No 30, by over 5,000 votes. In the same Prabhag, former corporator Rohit Kate (NCP) lost to Sanjay Kate (BJP) by nearly 2,000 votes.

In Pimple Saudagar, Prabhag Number 28, former corporator Nana Kate (NCP), was re-elected by defeating Sandesh Kate (BJP) by a margin of over 6,000 votes. Shatrughan Kate, president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad BJP unit, was re-elected from the same Prabhag. He defeated Umesh Kate (NCP) by over 7,500 votes. Anita Kate (BJP) defeated Sheetal Kate (NCP) by a margin of over 1,500 votes in the same Prabhag. Sheetal is the wife of Nana Kate and has been a corporator twice.

Four corporators with the surname Jagtap have been elected to the PCMC. Among them is Varsha Jagtap (NCP), a first-time corporator elected from Kasarwadi-Sant Tukaram Nagar Prabhag after she defeated former corporator Sujata Palande (BJP) by over 2,000 votes.

Shyam Jagtap (BJP) secured victory over Tanaji Jawalkar (NCP) in Pimple Gurav–Sudarshan Nagar, Prabhag No 29, with a margin of around 4,000 votes.

In Prabhag No 31, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Dnyaneshwar Jagtap (BJP) defeated Rajendra Jagtap (NCP) by over 1,500 votes. In the same Prabhag, Pallavi Jagtap (BJP) defeated Uma Paddalu (NCP) by more than 5,500 votes, while Navnath Jagtap (BJP) won decisively over Arun Pawar (NCP) with a margin exceeding 10,000 votes.

The PCMC House will see four corporators with the Landge surname, a prominent family from the Bhosari and Kasarwadi areas. While Ravi Landge (BJP) was elected unopposed from Prabhag Number 6 of Dhavadevasti (Bhosari), Rajashree Landge (BJP) defeated Priyanka Lande (NCP) by nearly 2,500 votes, and Yogesh Landge (BJP) defeated Santosh Landge (NCP) by over 2,000 votes in the same Prabhag. In Bhosari Gaonthan, Prabhag Number 7, Nitin Landge (BJP) defeated Amol Dolas (NCP) by over 1,500 votes.

Rahul Kalate has won from Wakad. The Kalates have been winning since 1986.

The Kalates, another prominent family of Pimpri-Chinchwad, will have two corporators in the PCMC House. Rahul Kalate (BJP) won from Wakad, Prabhag No 24, defeating Mayur Kalate (NCP) by nearly 15,000 votes. Sneha Kalate (BJP) won over Seema Sathe (NCP-SP) in Pimple Nilakh, Prabhag No 26, with a margin of more than 14,000 votes.

“My family has been representing the Wakad area since 1986. My father, Tanaji Kalate, was first elected from Wakad, followed by my mother and other close relatives who have also represented Wakad in the PCMC House,” Rahul Kalate told The Indian Express on Wednesday.

The Wagheres will have just one representative in the PCMC House this time, Sandeep Waghere, compared to at least two in earlier terms. Usha Waghere, former Standing Committee chairperson, lost from Pimprigaon. She had previously served three terms as corporator and had also served as mayor of Pimpri-Chinchwad. Her husband, Sanjog Waghere, was elected four times and her father-in-law, Bhiku Waghere-Patil, too, was once elected from Pimprigaon, reflecting the family’s dominance in civic politics.

‘Gaonwallahs have always held an upper hand’

Other ‘sons of the soil’ with representation in the PCMC House include Bhoir, Kute, Tapkir, Sane, Chinchwade, Taras, Borhade, Bhalekar, Lande, and Londhe—each with two corporators. The Phuge, Pathare, Gavhane, Gawli, Saste, Waghere, Kudale, Kalbhor, Kaspate, Kalte, Kokane, Tamhane, More, Devkar, Katale, Borate, Jadhav, Masulkar, Shinde, Ghule, Gaikwad, Gawde, Walhekar, Bhujbal, Wakadkar, Jawalkar, Bhise, Choundhe, Gujar, Dhore, Shitole, Nade, and Newale families will have one corporator each.

“The sons of the soil have always dominated PCMC elections and PCMC House. Right from 1986, when the first elections were held, to 2026, the gaonwallahs have always held an upper hand. In the city’s population of around 30 lakh, the natives must be around 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh, but they have dominated the politics of Pimpri-Chinchwad for years,” said political analyst Avinash Chilekar.

“Of the 128 corporators, around 100 are natives, with many related to each other. Twenty-three belong to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories, while five are from the Other Backward Classes category,” he added.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Council was set up in 1978 and became a municipal corporation in 1982. The first general elections were held in 1986. The Congress single-handedly dominated the first three elections, after which the NCP reigned. The BJP assumed power for the first time in 2017 and now in 2026—a landslide victory on both occasions.