PUNE/PIMPRI: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has bounced back during the State Assembly elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The NCP recovered Vadgaonsheri seat and captured Hadapsar constituency in Pune, while in Pimpri Chinchwad, NCP emerged victorious in Pimpri.
The party lost Khadakwasla seat with a competitive margin. Meanwhile, Congress failed to gain a single seat in Pune.
In Hadapsar, BJP MLA Yogesh Tilekar failed to get support from voters and was defeated by NCP’s Chetan Tupe.
Tupe and More raised the issue of allegations of corruption against Tilekar in Katraj-Kondhwa Road widening. Issues like inadequate drinking water supply, garbage disposal, undeveloped roads in Hadapsar constituency played a major role in harming Tilekar. In Vadgaonsheri, BJP candidate Jagdish Mulik tasted defeat at the hands of NCP’s Sunil Tingre. Tingre got support from unrest in Shiv Sena.
Mulik was not impressive in the last five years - especially water problems that persisted seem to have tipped the balance in Tingre’s favour.
NCP’s former MLA Anna Bansode has wrested back Pimpri Assembly constituency from Shiv Sena’s sitting MLA Gautam Chabukswar in a keenly contested battle.
Bansode polled 80,184 votes, while Chabukswar polled 66,566 votes. Chabukswar had defeated Bansode in 2014 election with a narrow margin of votes.
CONGRESS OUT ON ZERO
- Congress contested three seats in Pune: Shivajinagar, Pune Cantonment and Kasba Peth constituencies losing all.
- Congress city President Ramesh Bagwe, Arvind Shinde and Datta Bahirat contested the election on Congress ticket.
