Premium

Pune to get woman mayor on February 6, several contenders in the race

The BJP won 119 of the 165 seats in the PMC. With 41 women corporators elected from the Open category and six from the general category, the party has several contenders to pick from.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Jan 25, 2026 10:27 AM IST

Kamal Vyavahare was the first mayor of Pune. (Express Photo)

After a gap of almost four years, Pune city will finally get a mayor on February 6, bringing an end to the state government-appointed administrator’s rule over the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

“After discussion with the Pune divisional commissioner, the first general body meeting of the elected members of PMC to elect the mayor and deputy mayor will be held on February 6,” Naval Kishore Ram, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator, said. The detailed programme for the election of the mayor and deputy mayor will be declared soon, he added.

Earlier, the PMC administration had approached the Pune divisional commissioner after the declaration of results to appoint a returning officer for holding the first general body meeting of the newly elected members of PMC and to elect the mayor and deputy mayor.

The state government carried out the process of reservation for the mayor’s post for all 29 municipal corporations, including Pune. The PMC mayoral seat was reserved for a woman in the Open category.

The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the PMC elections, by winning 119 of the 165 seats, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP won 27 seats, Congress won 15, NCP(SP) won three, and Shiv Sena (UBT) won just one seat. The candidates fielded by the BJP will be the mayor and deputy mayor, following a show of hands election by corporators.

Of the 89 women corporators elected in the PMC, most are from the BJP and are eligible to contest for the mayoral post. The BJP has 41 women corporators elected from the Open category, so there is ample competition, with experienced and relatively new contenders.

The most experienced contender is Varsha Tapkir, who has been elected for the fourth consecutive time. She will face stiff competition from Mansi Deshpande and Manjusha Nagpure, both elected for the third time to the PMC. Deshpande is the sister-in-law of a minister while Nagpure got elected unopposed. Ranjana Tilekar, the mother of sitting BJP legislator Yogesh Tilekar, is also among the list of probable candidates for the mayor’s post, along with Vasanti Jadhav and Smita Vaste, who have served as PMC corporators in the past.

Story continues below this ad

Six women got elected to the PMC from the general category, against male candidates, and are being seen as dark horse contenders for the post. Among the fresh faces are Swarda Bapat, daughter-in-law of former city MP Girish Bapat, and Nivedita Ekbote, daughter of former corporator Jyotsana Ekbote.

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

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Loading Taboola...