Pune: In a significant political shift, Shankar Mandekar, the candidate from the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has won the Bhor Assembly seat, ending Congress’s fifteen-year hold on the constituency.

Mandekar, who hails from Mulshi Taluka, defeated incumbent Congress MLA Sangram Thopte by a margin of 19,638 votes, marking the first victory for a local candidate from Mulshi in fifteen years.

Bhor Assembly constituency comprises Bhor, Velha, and Mulshi Talukas. Mandekar secured impressive support in all three, especially in Mulshi, where the counting started and saw him leading with 82,961 votes compared to Thopte’s 30,036 votes.

This provided Mandekar with a substantial lead of 52,925 votes from Mulshi, which Thopte was unable to overcome despite gaining votes in other areas.

In total, Mandekar received 126,455 votes, while Thopte garnered 106,817. Two other independents candidates, Kuldeep Konde and Kiran Dagade, received 29,065 and 25,601 votes, respectively.

This victory signals a significant change for the Bhor Assembly constituency, as Mandekar, supported by NCP, defeated the longstanding Congress MLA, Thopte, who had held the seat for three consecutive terms.

Mulshi last had a local representative in 2004, when Shiv Sena’s Sharad Dhamale was elected. However, with the 2009 constituency restructuring, Mulshi was incorporated into Bhor, where Thopte won and held the seat until this election.

Mandekar’s win has brought the seat back to Mulshi after fifteen years, leading to widespread celebrations in the region.