Mohol to oversee BJP’s poll strategy, Bidkar poll chief for party in PMC area

The appointment, announced by BJP state president Ravindra Chavan on Wednesday, gives Mohol charge of both the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations, as well as the wider district

In a key organisational shake-up ahead of the upcoming local body elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed Pune MP and Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol as the party’s in-charge for Pune district. The move signals the party’s growing confidence in Mohol’s leadership and effectively places him above senior leader and Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil in the district’s political hierarchy.

Alongside Mohol, the party has appointed former Pune mayor Ganesh Bidkar as election chief for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). (HT)

The appointment, announced by BJP state president Ravindra Chavan on Wednesday, gives Mohol charge of both the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations, as well as the wider district. Political observers view this as a clear signal that the party has chosen Mohol to be its leading face in Pune, a role once held by the late Girish Bapat.

Alongside Mohol, the party has appointed former Pune mayor Ganesh Bidkar as election chief for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), and Chinchwad MLA Shankar Jagtap for the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

The appointments come as Maharashtra gears up for local body polls. State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare announced on Wednesday that elections for 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats will be held on December 2, with counting and results the next day. The Supreme Court has directed that elections to all remaining municipal corporations, including Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, be completed by January 31, 2026.

Following his appointment, Mohol said, “The Maha Yuti is in power both at the Centre and in the state, and our government has completed several development works. We are confident that voters will once again choose the Maha Yuti in the upcoming local body elections. We will win both Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad corporations.”

He added, “I am thankful to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, state president Ravindra Chavan, and senior leader Chandrakant Patil for showing faith in me and entrusting me with this responsibility.”

Bidkar, who handled a similar role during the 2017 PMC elections, said, “This is the second time the party has trusted me with this responsibility. We are confident of securing a clear victory in the PMC.”

The BJP’s internal power dynamics in Pune have long revolved around the question of leadership following Girish Bapat’s demise. While Chandrakant Patil, who represents Kothrud, was seen as consolidating influence in city affairs, the latest appointments signal that the party leadership has now chosen to back Mohol, a former PMC mayor and standing committee chairman, as its key face in Pune.