Deadline to withdraw nominations ends, BJP clinches 4 seats unopposed in PMC & PCMC

Pune: The deadline to withdraw nominations ended on Friday, leaving four BJP candidates elected unopposed as corporators — two each in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).BJP candidates Manjusha Nagpure and Shrikant Jagtap were elected from ward number 35 ؙSun City-Manikbaug (Sinhagad Road area). PMC election officer Prasad Katkar told TOI: "All candidates against Nagpure and Jagtap withdrew their nominations on Friday."
Election Commission data said the two faced a multi-cornered fight. Jagtap was facing one candidate from Shiv Sena (UBT) and five Independents, while Nagpure was up against an NCP candidate and two Independents.Shiv Sena (UBT) city unit chief Gajanan Thirkude told TOI: "Our candidate against Jagtap was chosen as part of a seat-sharing arrangement. Since he was part and parcel of the alliance, the candidate used the name and symbol of our party. He is not a devoted party member."Additionally, BJP's candidate from ward 10B Supriya Chandgude was elected unopposed in PCMC. Four candidates, including one each from NCP and MNS and two Independents, withdrew their nominations on Friday. This was the second unopposed win for BJP in PCMC, as their candidate from ward 6B, Ravi Landge, was also elected unopposed on Thursday.Meanwhile, BJP office-bearers said Nagpure and Jagtap had represented the Sinhagad Road areas — a bastion of the party — as BJP corporators between 2017 and 2022. They have also worked on important panels like the standing committee and the child welfare committee.Their supporters said the two would raise issues like traffic congestion, as also narrow roads and water scarcity, in the areas during the general body and standing committee meetings. They had demanded projects like the Sinhagad Road flyover be executed. Ward number 35 also houses locations like Ekta Nagari, which witnesses frequent flooding during the monsoon. The elected members had also highlighted the need for a retaining wall for the area and a housing redevelopment project so that the flooding problem could be sorted.Pune city unit chief of BJP Dheeraj Ghate said, "The opposing candidates walked out themselves. The two victories mirror the mood of the city. The victory will inspire party workers and citizens."Out of the two unopposed candidates in PCMC, Landge was elected without any opposition for the second time in a row, after being chosen unopposed in 2017. Chandgude had contested the last civic elections, but had lost by around 700 votes.