Pune district’s only independent candidate wins from Junnar
Independent candidate and former MLA Sharad Sonawane emerged victorious in the Junnar assembly constituency by a margin of 6,664 votes and without any star campaigners
PUNE: Despite all odds, independent candidate and former MLA Sharad Sonawane emerged victorious in the Junnar assembly constituency by a margin of 6,664 votes and without any star campaigners, defeating candidates fielded by the ruling Mahayuti, opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).
Despite strong campaigns led by senior leaders like Sharad Pawar, Dr Amol Kolhe and Supriya Sule for NCP (SP) candidate Satyasheel Sherkar and meticulous planning by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar for NCP candidate Atul Benke, Sonawane managed to win without the support of any star campaigners. His efforts at the grassroots’ level and his independent status helped him win the assembly seat of Junnar, which is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s birthplace.
Sonawane scored 73,355 votes against Sherkar’s 66,691; Benke’s 48,100; and VBA candidate Devram Lande’s 22,401 votes. Sonawane’s key promises, including construction of the world’s tallest statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and preparation of a ₹5,000 crore DPR (Detailed Project Report) for the development of Junnar, played a pivotal role in his victory. However, three days before the polls, an obscene video of Sonawane surfaced on Instagram and started doing the rounds of WhatsApp groups in Narayangaon and Junnar, leaving these constituencies in a state of turmoil. While the video had been fabricated to malign Sonawane’s reputation, it left everyone in a state of shock. All said, the four-way contest in Junnar led to a significant division of votes, benefitting Sonawane. Besides, major parties underestimated Sonawane’s influence among and connect with the voters.
After his victory, Sonawane thanked the people of Junnar saying, “This victory is a result of the blessings of the common people. Despite attempts by wealthy opponents to influence the election with money power, the people trusted me. I am committed to making Junnar a tourism hub and ensuring the implementation of the ₹5,000 crore DPR for its development.”
In the 2019 assembly elections, Sonawane contested as a Shiv Sena (undivided) candidate and was defeated by NCP (undivided) candidate Atul Vallabh Benke. In the 2014 assembly elections, Sonawane was the only candidate to win on a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) ticket.


