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Pune civic body polls: Husband-wife, mother-son duos lead race for family legacies

The BJP, the Congress, and the NCP are betting on family dynasties in the PMC polls. Here are the fascinating family combinations in play for the January 15 elections.

3 min readJan 5, 2026 08:53 PM IST

The BJP is also fielding multiple candidates from the same family in the elections.

Political families in Pune are eager to maintain their political influence by fielding a member in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections. However, some families are taking it a step further by fielding not just one, but two members to contest the January 15 polls.

These include husband-wife pairs, fathers and sons, mothers and sons, and sisters-in-law, all seeking to preserve their family’s political legacy in the city. In fact, no major party has refrained from fielding two family members for civic elections.

With 165 seats in the Pune civic body, the competition is fierce, as elections have been delayed for nearly 9 years due to legal issues over seat reservations.

Among the husband-wife duo, the Congress has fielded former corporator Avinash Bagwe and his wife, Indira Bagwe, from the Kashewadi-Dias Plot ward. The Bagwes have a political ground with Ramesh Bagwe, Avinash’s father, who was a corporator and a state minister.

The BJP is also fielding multiple candidates from the same family in the elections. They have nominated Surendra Pathare to contest from the Kharadi-Wagholi ward and his wife Aishwarya Pathare from the Vimannagar-Lohegaon ward. Surendra is the son of the sitting NCP (SP) legislator Bapusaheb Pathare, who represents Vadgaonsheri.

The BJP has also fielded a couple, Sanjay Bhosale from the Yerawada-Gandhinagar ward and his wife, Ashwini Bhosale, from the Pune station-Jay Jawannagar ward. Bhosale is a former Shiv Sena corporator who switched parties days before the civic polls.

“The BJP has fielded candidates only considering their winning ability. The party normally do not field more than one candidate from one family, but there were exceptions as both candidates are strong,” said a BJP leader. Incidentally, both couples have been inducted into the BJP ahead of civic polls.

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Three mother-son duos are contesting the Pune civic body elections. Former mayor Prashant Jagtap and his mother, Ratnaprabha Jagtap, are running as Congress candidates from the Wanowrie-Salunkhe Vihar ward. The two have successfully been elected to the civic body together in the past.

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has fielded Nilesh Girme and his mother Radhika Girme from the Narhe-Vadgaon Budhruk-Dhayari ward. It has also given candidature to Pratibha Dhangekar, wife of former legislator Ravindra Dhangekar, from the Raviwar Peth-Nana Peth ward, and to her son, Pranav Dhangekar, from the Kasba Ganpati-Kamla Nehru hospital ward.

As for father-son duos, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has two: former corporator Vasant More, fielded from the Balajinagar-Ambegaon-Katraj ward, and his son Rupesh More, from the Kondhwa Budhruk-Yeolewadi ward.

Stepbrothers are also running for office. Harshwardhan Mankar is contesting as an NCP candidate from Rambaug Colony-Shivteerthnagar ward, while his stepbrother Raghvendra Mankar is a BJP candidate from Shaniwar Peth-Mahatma Phule Mandai ward. The two are sons of former corporator and NCP leader Deepak Mankar.

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The NCP has also fielded sisters-in-law in PMC polls. Former corporator Priya Gadade is contesting from Janta Vasahat-Hingane Khurd ward, while Akshada Gadade, wife of her brother Premraj, is contesting from Navi Peth-Parvati ward.

“There were many such combinations from a family who sought party candidature to contest the PMC elections, but only those were given a party ticket in wards where they were the strongest,” said the NCP leader.

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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