Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Putting an end to the NCP-Congress hold, the BJP has become the dominating party in Pune district for the first time, winning more seats than before in its maiden Assembly election after the split in the Nationalist Congress Party.
The BJP has won nine of the 21 seats in Pune district while the NCP led by Ajit Pawar won eight seats and their alliance partner Shiv Sena won one seat. On the other hand, the Congress has been completely wiped out in the district and the NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar could win only one seat. The remaining one seat was won by an Independent.
In the 2019 Assembly polls, the undivided NCP had won 10 of the 21 seats while its alliance partner Congress won three in Pune district, followed by BJP which bagged eight seats. The Shiv Sena had not won a single seat in the district in the previous Assembly polls.
The BJP made inroads into the district in 2014, mainly in urban areas, when it won all eight Assembly seats in Pune city and continued its supremacy in 2019 by winning six seats in Pune city and two in neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad. “It is the hard work of party workers that has ensured the growth of the party. The people have faith in the BJP which is working to bring positive change in their life,” said Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol.
This time, the BJP is leading in most seats in urban areas but has made a strong mark in rural areas as well with the support of the NCP.
The saffron party had single-handedly come to power in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in 2017 and had managed to hold the post of guardian minister for most of the time in its previous two terms. However, it was speculated that the BJP’s growth spurt had ended after the NDA lost two of the four Lok Sabha seats in Pune district to NCP(SP).
City NCP working president Pradeep Deshmukh said the party has performed well in the Assembly election by winning eight seats. “The strength of NCP remains the same despite the split in the party. It also shows that the original cadre of the party is intact,” he said, adding that the party’s hold in the urban and rural areas of the district continues to be strong.
Among the prominent winners of NCP include party chief Ajit Pawar in Baramati, Dilip Walse-Patil in Ambegaon, Dattatraya Bharne in Indapur and Sunil Shelke in Maval.
