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PMC polls: In boost for BJP, its candidates Manjusha Nagpure, Shrikant Jagtap win unopposed from Suncity-Manikbaug ward

Manjusha Nagpure and Shrikant Jagtap are former BJP corporators who served as elected representatives in the Pune Municipal Corporation from 2017 to 2022.

3 min readUpdated: Jan 2, 2026 06:09 PM IST

Manjusha Nagpure and Shrikant Jagtap were elected unopposed from the Pune Municipal Corporation’s Suncity-Manikbaug ward after their opponents withdrew from the fray. (Express Photo)

In a major boost to the BJP’s prospects in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, two of its candidates, Manjusha Nagpure and Shrikant Jagtap, were elected unopposed from the Suncity-Manikbaug ward after their opponents withdrew from the fray.

Nagpure and Jagtap are former BJP corporators who served as elected representatives from the same electoral ward in the civic body’s previous five-year term from 2017 to 2022. In the PMC, voters have to elect four candidates each, including two women, from an electoral ward.

Congratulating the winners, Union minister and city MP Murlidhar Mohol said, “The next mayor will be from the BJP. Candidates of the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP withdrew against the two after realising the massive support for BJP candidates. We have won two seats and now 123 are remaining as per the target. Two seats were won unopposed without us having to approach opponents. This is a certificate for the good governance of the BJP.”

In the Suncity-Manikbaug ward, one seat is reserved for a woman from a general category, one seat for a woman from the Other Backward Classes (OBC), and the remaining two are general category seats, open to both men and women.

The two other BJP candidates, Sachin More and Jyoti Gosavi, will have to continue campaigning for the municipal corporation polls slated to be held on January 15. The results will be declared on January 16.

Manjusha Nagpure was contesting in the Open category seat for women in which a total of six nominations were filed in the Suncity-Manikbaug ward. Two of these nominations were rejected by the election office in the scrutiny stage, while three candidates withdrew from the fray on Friday. With this, Manjusha will be a corporator for the third consecutive time.

Her husband, Deepak Nagpure, is the city BJP general secretary and a staunch right-wing supporter. “We will tackle love jihad and land jihad in the ward and city after getting elected to the civic body,” Deepak had said after his wife filed her nomination.

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Shrikant Jagtap was contesting in the general category in Suncity-Manikbaug. His opponent, Nitin Gaikwad, withdrew from the election on Friday, the last day for withdrawal of nominations.

City BJP chief Dheeraj Ghate said two of the party’s candidates have already been elected unopposed and this speaks for itself about the outcome of the polls. “This will be a boost for the party workers as the election approaches for the remaining seats in Pune,” he said, adding that the official launch of the election campaign by the BJP’s state chief Ravindra Chavan will be on Saturday.

A total of 165 corporators from 41 wards will be elected to the PMC in the polls. While 40 wards will elect four corporators each, there will be five corporators from the remaining one ward, as per the state government’s decision.

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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