Pune civic polls: Slim margins, surprise wins, upsets unfold on result day

PUNE: The civic polls delivered a string of surprises, tight finishes and political ironies, underlining the volatility of local politics in the city.In one of the closest contests, Congress candidate Avinash Bagwe was edged out by a wafer-thin margin of just 64 votes in ward number 22 in Kashewadi Dias Plot, highlighting how fiercely fought several seats were. The results also proved sobering for party organisations. Shubhash Jagtap, one of the two city unit chiefs of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, failed to secure a victory, as did fivetime corporator Aba Bagul, whose switch from Congress to Shiv Sena did not translate into electoral success.The elections, however, also threw up striking contrasts. Laxmi Andekar and Sonali Andekar emerged victorious despite being in jail over their alleged involvement in a murder case.In another unusual outcome, brothers Raghvendra Mankar of the BJP and Harshvardhan Mankar of the NCP won from two different wards, representing rival parties.Seasoned leaders were not immune to defeat. Three-time corporator Moreshwar Bhondwe lost from Ravet-Kiwale. At the same time, political turnarounds marked the polls, with Prashant Jagtap pulling off a win on a Congress ticket. Jagtap, who while serving as the city unit chief rebelled against NCP (SP), briefly aligned with Ajit Pawarled NCP before the elections.