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BJP’s Manjusha Nagpure elected unopposed as Pune mayor as NCP, Cong withdraw

During her campaign, Nagpure said she would focus on easing Pune’s traffic congestion by improving traffic signals, widening roads and strengthening the PMPML bus service.

4 min readPuneUpdated: Feb 9, 2026 07:59 PM IST

Manjusha Nagpure, 46, was first elected as a PMC corporator in 2012.

BJP corporator Manjusha Nagpure was declared elected unopposed as the Mayor of Pune on Monday after NCP corporator Sheetal Sawant and Congress corporator Ashwini Landge withdrew from the contest. This comes after a gap of four years, as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had been without a mayor since the previous term ended in 2022, with elections postponed due to legal issues.

“Manjusha Nagpure is being declared elected as mayor of Pune,” said District Collector Jitendra Dudi, who was designated to conduct the mayoral election. The mayor’s post is reserved for a woman corporator from the general category.

BJP leader Ganesh Bidkar appealed to the NCP and Congress to withdraw their nominations to enable a unanimous election, citing the need to hold an immediate condolence meeting for Ajit Pawar and Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi, both of whom passed away in January. Following the appeal, both parties withdrew their candidates.

Nagpure, 46, an MBA and a third-time corporator, hails from a family of staunch RSS supporters. She was elected unopposed in the recent PMC elections.

She was first elected as a corporator in 2012 from the Anandnagar area on Sinhagad Road. In the January 15, 2026, civic elections, she was again elected unopposed from the Suncity–Manikbaug ward on Sinhagad Road. Nagpure was preferred over other frontrunners — four-time corporator Varsha Tapkir and three-time corporator Mansi Deshpande.

Incidentally, Nagpure represents a ward that falls within the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, represented by NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule, a seat the BJP has been keen to win.

Nagpure’s husband, Deepak, is a BJP office-bearer. Among the more highly educated corporators in the PMC, Nagpure and her husband run a business, with major income derived from leasing commercial properties. Her total assets are valued at Rs 3.22 crore.

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She completed her undergraduate studies at Savitribai Phule Pune University in 1999 and earned her Master’s in Business Administration from ICFAI University in 2021. Nagpure had earlier worked with an IT firm but quit her job to contest civic elections at her family’s insistence. She has two children aged 17 and five.

During her campaign, Nagpure said she would focus on easing Pune’s traffic congestion by improving traffic signals, widening roads and strengthening the PMPML bus service. Representing the flood-prone Sinhagad Road area, she said she planned to construct a retaining wall along the Mutha river and establish a flood alert system for early warning, while also pushing the river improvement and beautification project undertaken by the PMC.

She also spoke about implementing the ‘Swachh Ward, Beautiful Ward’ concept to curb open dumping of waste, upgrading civic hospitals, and introducing digital education in schools run by the PMC.

Deputy mayor
Meanwhile, BJP corporator Parshuram Wadekar — associated with the RPI(A) but who contested the civic polls as a BJP candidate — was declared elected unopposed as the Deputy Mayor of Pune.

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Wadekar takes over the post that was held by his wife in 2021, making them the first couple to have held the same position in the Pune civic body.

Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol congratulated Mayor Manjusha Nagpure and Deputy Mayor Parshuram Wadekar at the civic headquarters. Leaders and corporators from all parties also congratulated the newly elected office-bearers during the general body meeting.

City Congress chief Arvind Shinde said the Mayor and Deputy Mayor should treat the ruling party and opposition equally, as they are office-bearers of the city and not of any single party.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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