The Bharatiya Janata Party has registered a historic victory in the Pune Municipal Corporation elections, securing power on its own. Among the most closely watched contests was Ward No. 23, where the battle carried significant political and personal stakes.
Andekar Vs Dhangekar: High-Profile Ward 23 Contest
Ward No. 23 saw a direct contest between Sonali Andekar, named in connection with the Ayush Komkar murder case, and Pratibha Andekar, the wife of former MLA Ravindra Dhangekar. Sonali Andekar’s victory in the ward has come as a major setback for the Dhangekar family.
Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party had fielded three candidates linked to the family of gangster Bandu Andekar. Among them were Sonali Andekar, wife of Vanraj Andekar, currently in jail in the Ayush Komkar murder case, and Lakshmi Andekar.
Narrow Margins During Counting
The counting process reflected a tightly fought contest. Pratibha Dhangekar initially led Sonali Vanraj Andekar by just 23 votes. However, the margin later swung in Sonali Andekar’s favour, with her taking a lead of 909 votes. She eventually secured victory.
Lakshmi Udaykant Andekar, who was trailing in the early rounds, also went on to win her seat, defeating BJP candidate Rituja Tejas Gadale in a close contest.
Setbacks For MNS And NCP Leaders
The results also delivered shocks to other political figures in Pune. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) city president Sainath Babar was defeated from Ward No. 19.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Rupali Thombre Patil also suffered a loss. Patil had earlier sparked controversy by making serious allegations of direct tampering with EVM machines during the polls.
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