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Senior leaders, former corporators face shock defeats
Among those defeated was Aba Bagul, a six-time corporator and former deputy mayor, who contested on Shiv Sena ticket from Sahakarnagar area
Many seasoned politicians and former corporators with strong local base faced defeat in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, underscoring the scale of the BJP’s dominance and the churn it triggered across party lines.
Among those defeated was Aba Bagul, a six-time corporator and former deputy mayor, who contested on Shiv Sena ticket from Sahakarnagar area. “I have won six elections and every time my focus was on development work. But this time voters preferred money power over development, which is very sad,” he said.
Former mayor Dattatray Dhankawade also lost his seat. Dhankawade was considered to have a strong grip over Dhankawadi and Balajinagar areas, having held key positions in PMC.
Subhash Jagtap, a four-time corporator and former leader of the House in PMC, was another prominent casualty. Jagtap, who also served as city unit president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and seen as a strong leader in Taljai and Sahakarnagar areas, failed to withstand the shifting voter mood.
“I am shocked by the results as supporters said they voted for me,” said Jagtap as his loyalists carried a morcha to police station and demanded a repoll. Some workers blamed EVM machines for Jagtap’s defeat.
Shiv Sena (UBT) city unit president Vasant More also failed to get the required votes. More had a strong hold in Katraj area. “The results are beyond imagination. I am a hardcore worker and will continue to serve people,” he said,
Ashwini Kadam, former standing committee chairperson and a three-time corporator from Padmavati and Sahakarnagar belt, also lost the contest. Her loss was seen as significant given her long administrative experience within PMC.
Avinash Bagwe, son of former minister of state Ramesh Bagwe and a two-time corporator, lost from areas, including Pune Cantonment and Bhavani Peth, where he was considered influential.
Rupali Patil, known as a strong and outspoken woman leader, suffered defeat in both the wards that she contested.
Political observers said the results reflected not just anti-incumbency against individual leaders, but a broader consolidation of votes in favour of the BJP, leaving little room for even entrenched local figures to survive the electoral shift.
