Modi set to storm Pawar bastions

On October 9, Modi will address a rally at the HA ground in Pimpri.

Preparations are on at the HA ground in Pimpri where Narendra Modi will hold a rally on Oct 9.

After waging a verbal war with NCP chief Sharad Pawar during the first two days of his Maharashtra campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will now head towards Baramati, the Pawar family’s bastion, where he will address a rally on Thursday, October 9. On the same day, Modi will visit Pimpri-Chinchwad, another Pawar stronghold as the NCP has been in control of the local civic body for over a decade now. BJP leaders said the party was going all out to cause a dent in Pawar’s forts.

When Modi holds his first rally in Baramati on October 9, it will also be the first time when a prime minister will be addressing a public meeting there in 34 years. Last time a PM made it to Baramati was in 1980 when Indira Gandhi campaigned for Congress (I) candidate Marutrao Chopde. “Indira Gandhi had come to campaign against Sharad Pawar who was then the head of Congress (S). Gandhi’s campaigning had no effect as Pawar saheb was elected with a huge margin,” said Kiran Gujar, who has been a close associate of Pawar for over four decades. Pawar had polled 54,919 votes while his rival could manage only 26,550 votes. As many as 1,838 votes were invalid. Pawar was contesting the Assembly elections that time.

On October 9, Modi will address a rally at the HA ground in Pimpri. The last time a PM visited the industrial town of Pimpri-Chinchwad was in 1984 when Rajiv Gandhi had addressed a rally at Sangvi Keshri college grounds in Chinchwad.

“There was a huge crowd in attendance at Rajiv’s rally,” recalled Babu Nair, a Congress leader. Gandhi had come to campaign for Congress candidate Shankarrao Bajirao Patil, who was contesting from Baramati Parliamentary constituency. Pimpri-Chinchwad was then part of the Baramati constituency. Now, it is part of Maval.

The massive turnout, however, did not translate into votes for the Congress candidate who lost by a margin of over 1,40,000 votes to Pawar. Shankarrao Bajirao Patil was the father of Congress leader Harshvardhan Patil.

BJP’s Bhosari candidate Eknath Pawar said the PM’s rally would swing votes heavily in favour of the two BJP candidates and one alliance candidate in Pimpri-Chinchwad. “We are all looking forward to the rally as it will be the first of its kind by any prime minister,” he said.

The NCP, however, said the rallies would not make any difference to the party. “It did not make a difference to Pawar forts then and it will not make a difference even today,” said Gujar.

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Yogesh Behl, the Pimpri-Chinchwad NCP president who is considered the right hand man of Ajit Pawar, said: “Supriya Sule (Pawar’s daughter) had led by a margin of 70,000 votes in Baramati Lok Sabha seat during the recent polls. Therefore, there is nothing to worry… Baramati seat is safe. Even otherwise, Ajit Pawar has no time to campaign in Baramati as he will be busy campaigning for other seats. It shows the confidence the leader has in his voters.”

Behl said NCP’s Bhosari candidate Vilas Lande had won twice and was poised for a third victory. “Similarly, Pimpri candidate Anna Bansode has no threat whatsoever as the candidates against him are very weak,” he said.

BJP has Laxman Jagtap contesting from Chinchwad seat and Eknath Pawar from Bhosari. It has allotted the Pimpri (Reserved) seat to its alliance partner RPI (A), which has fielded Chandrakanta Sonkamble. The Jagtap camp said Modi’s rally was “very significant” in view of the fact that Pawars had not been able to stop the drive against illegal constructions launched by PCMC. “We are looking forward to some kind of announcement by the prime minister in this connection,” said Seema Savle, an associate of Jagtap.

Political parties have, however, questioned the venue of the rally, HA ground, Pimpri. The ground comes under the Pimpri (Reserved) seat where the BJP has no candidate. “BJP aspirant Amar Sable was a strong contender for the seat. However, BJP gave the seat to its alliance partner,” said Babu Nair. BJP leaders said the venue was chosen as it was at the centre of the three constituencies.

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Also, the capacity of the ground does not go beyond 50,000 whereas Modi has been drawing crowds beyond 1 lakh.

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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