The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections have sparked significant political interest citywide, particularly in Vadgaon Sheri’s Ward No. 4, where a high‑profile family divide has unfolded. Bapusaheb Pathare, the sitting MLA from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar faction), has political roots in the area, having won the Vadgaon Sheri Assembly seat in the 2024 Maharashtra elections. However, this year, an unexpected twist in local politics emerged when his son Surendra Pathare and daughter‑in‑law Aishwarya Pathare both contested the municipal polls on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tickets — Surendra from Ward No. 4 and Aishwarya from Ward No. 3.
The entry of two close family members of a sitting NCP MLA on rival party tickets quickly became a topic of political debate in Pune. Critics see it as indicative of growing BJP influence in east Pune wards, while supporters framed it as a generational change in local leadership.
Ajit Pawar’s Strong Rhetoric
At a campaign event in Chandannagar, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar aggressively criticized the BJP candidates, particularly Surendra Pathare, challenging his credentials and influence in the region. Pawar questioned political loyalties and appealed to voters to oppose leaders associated with what he described as local “tanker mafia” and other malpractices.
Pawar’s statements drew sharp attention due to intra‑party tensions and reflect the broader electoral pressure faced by the NCP despite its alliance strategies in Maharashtra civic polls.