The NCP’s Anna Bansode won from Pimpri reserved Assembly constituency, defeating Shiv Sena’s sitting MLA Gautam Chabukswar with a margin of 16,856 votes. Bansode had in the 2014 elections lost by just about 2,000 votes. The Shiv Sena had fielded Chabukswar despite considerable opposition to his nomination. Party sources also said voter anger against Chabukswar might have played a role, as he was not seen as very active after his 2014 win. Following his victory, Bansode said, “I will do everything to live up to the expectations of the people.” Party sources said Bansode had not been the NCP’s first choice for the Pimpri ticket. They said NCP leader Ajit Pawar had acquiesced after many leaders petitioned him to pick Bansode. During the counting of votes at Balewadi stadium, Chabukswar had been leading until the seventh round. Afterwards, Bansode pulled ahead and increased the margin with every round. Satish Landge, a staunch supporter of Bansode, said, “Bansode’s contact with voters during the last five years was far better than the sitting MLA, who was rarely seen or heard in the constituency. We were confident that he would win and are delighted that it finally happened.”