Mahayuti breathes easy in Pimpri and Chinchwad as rebels return home

Pimpri-Chinchwad has three assembly constituencies of Pimpri, Chinchwad and Bhosari, all of which are with the Mahayuti.

Nana Kate, who till Sunday had been repeatedly saying he would not withdraw from the fray, quietly dropped out. (Facebook/ Nana Kate)

On the last day to withdraw nominations, NCP rebel candidate Nana Kate withdrew his candidature in Chinchwad assembly seat while in Pimpri seat, as many as 21 independents withdrew their nomination candidates.

Pimpri-Chinchwad has three assembly constituencies of Pimpri, Chinchwad and Bhosari, all of which are with the Mahayuti. The Chinchwad and Bhosari seats have been represented by BJP MLAs, while Pimpri had been represented by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Kate, who till Sunday had been repeatedly saying he would not withdraw from the fray, quietly dropped out. He wasted no time revealing that a phone call from his leader Ajit Pawar made him withdraw from the race. “I got a call from our leader Ajit Pawar urging me to withdraw from the race. He said every seat is important for Mahayuti and that we should all work unitedly to bring our government back to power,” Kate said.

Kate then met Shankar Jagtap, the BJP candidate contesting his first election, and expressed his support for him.

Another NCP rebel candidate Bhausaheb Bhoir from Chinchwad seat was also approached by Ajit Pawar, but he has refused to withdraw from the fray. “Ajitdada urged me to withdraw from the fray in the larger interest of Mahayuti but I told him that I was firm on contesting,” Bhoir said.

Bhoir was earlier in the Congress. He had contested the Chinchwad assembly seat in 2009 but had finished as runner up with 25,000 votes.

“The contours of the Chinchwad seat have changed. There are over two voters from Chinchwad to Ravet area. I have been in touch with the voters,” he said.
Bhoir claimed that the fight in Chinchwad will be between him and Shankar Jagtap.

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The third candidate in the Chinchwad seat is Rahul Kalate, who has been fielded by the NCP (SP). Kalate had contested two past assembly elections. In the 2019 assembly elections, he had put up a tough fight against Laxman Jagtap but had lost. In both the elections, he was unsuccessful.

“In both of the past elections, I was pitted against a popular leader like Laxman Jagtap. Now the challenge is less. I am confident of winning the seat,” he said.
Jagtap passed away last year. His wife Ashwini Jagtap had subsequently won the seat two months later. She was replaced by Shankar Jagtap, her brother-in-law, by the BJP.

Of the three assembly seats in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Chinchwad seat has the highest voter count of nearly 6.5 lakh.

In the Pimpri reserved seat, as many as 21 independents withdrew their nominations. The seat is now set to witness a direct fight between sitting NCP MLA Anna Bansode and former corporator Sulakshna Shilwant.

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On the last day of filing nominations, former corporators Chandrakanta Sonkamble, Jeetendra Nanaware and Gautam Chabukswar withdrew from the race.

Bansode has twice ben elected from the Pimpri reserved seat. There was strong opposition to his candidature from former NCP corporators. However, his loyality to Ajit Pawar worked as despite stiff opposition, he was renominated by the party.

The Sharad Pawar led NCP has fielded Sulakshna Shilwant, who is considered a lightweight candidate as her popularity had so far been confined to Sant Tukaram-Kasarwadi area. However, NCP (SP) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said, “Once our national chief Sharad Pawar holds a rally in Pimpri, the whole scenario will change. Besides, our top leaders will also be holding rallies for our candidate.”

In Bhosari, there will be a direct fight between sitting BJP MLA Mahesh Landge and Ajit Gavhane who has been fielded by the NCP (SP). Ravi Landge, the Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel candidate, has withdrawn from the race. Landge has stolen the limelight in campaigning as he has gone to town highlighting his development works through social media and his corner meetings.

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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