PCMC House to have 64 women corporators; one wins by 21 votes, seven BJP candidates by 10,000-plus margins
The BJP has emerged as the party with the highest number of women corporators, with 42 members, followed by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP (18) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena (3).
Of the 317 candidates in the fray for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections 2026, 64 women have been elected to the 128-member general body. Of these, 63 belong to political parties, while only one is an independent. One woman candidate scraped through with a victory margin of just 21 votes.
The BJP has emerged as the party with the highest number of women corporators, with 42 members, followed by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP (18) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena (3).
Pimpri-Chinchwad has 8,07,966 women voters, of whom 4,63,827 (57.41 per cent) exercised their franchise.
Among the 64 winning women candidates, seven recorded landslide victories, each winning by margins of over 10,000 votes — all from the BJP.
Sarika Gaikwad (BJP) registered the highest margin, defeating Anuradhya Solunke (NCP) by 16,011 votes in Prabhag No. 3 (Moshi–Dudulgaon–Charholi). The Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate finished a distant third with 2,253 votes.
Sneha Kalate (BJP) secured the second-highest margin, defeating Seema Sathe (NCP) by 14,349 votes in Prabhag No. 26 (general category, women).
Other BJP candidates who won by large margins include Reshma Bhujbal (14,256 votes), Shruti Dolas (13,574), Hirabai Ghule (12,992), Archana Saste (12,991) and Shaileja More (12,866). While Shaileja More and Hirabai Ghule have served as deputy mayors earlier, the remaining five are first-time corporators.
In the Scheduled Caste category open to both men and women, former women corporators faced defeats at the hands of male candidates.
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Former NCP corporator Seema Sawale lost to Dr Suhas Kamble, who runs Sai Hospital in Moshi, by a narrow margin of 256 votes in the Indrayani Nagar–Balajinagar Prabhag.
“I have slogged for my area for 20 years. I have won the elections thrice. I was the standing committee chairperson… Yet a newcomer who has not done anything for the area won. I accept the verdict of the people with humility. Over 12,000 people voted for me and that shows the people’s trust in me. But I will not keep silent, will continue to raise my voice,” Sawale said.
Similarly, former corporator Sulakshna Dhar (NCP-SP) lost to Jitendra Nanaware (NCP) by 3,623 votes. Another former corporator, Chandrakanta Sonkamble, who had won multiple times in the past, lost by 711 votes to Raju Bansode (NCP). Shiv Sena candidate Sandeep Gaikwad secured 5,133 votes in the same ward.
Seven women candidates lost by margins of less than 1,000 votes.
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The closest contest was witnessed in Prabhag No. 19, where Savita Aswani (NCP) won by a margin of just 21 votes. Aswani secured 9,525 votes, while her BJP rival Jayshree Gawde polled 9,504 votes. The prabhag spans Pimpri Camp, parts of Chinchwad, and extends up to Akurdi.
“In the first three rounds, Jayshree Gawde was leading. But till the 11th round, Savita Aswani took over. After that our rival candidate led by 1,700 votes till the 15th round. After that we broke the lead. In the last two rounds, we won by 21 votes,” said Dhanraj Aswani, husband of Savita Aswani, who was first elected as a corporator in 2012.
He added, “In the second-last round, our rival candidate’s supporters started bursting crackers assuming that they had won, but the election official clarified that it was not true until the last round was over. In the last round, we won by 21 votes.”
After Aswani was declared elected, the Gawde camp demanded a recount. “The candidate demanded a recount of all votes. We told the candidate that we will recount the postal votes and not the entire EVM votes… She walked away,” said returning officer Pallavi Ghatge.
Shalini Gujar is the lone independent candidate to win, from the Thergaon area (Prabhag No. 19). “My wife was given the party nomination by BJP. But the party could not send her AB form in time,” said her husband Kantilal Gujar. Shalini Gujar was subsequently sponsored by the BJP.
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.
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