Pune: In a tightly contested race, Bapusaheb Pathare from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) defeated Sunil Tingre from the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party in Wadgaon Sheri constituency.
Pathare’s win has brought a crucial seat to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, marking their only victory in Pune. He secured the seat with a narrow margin of 4710 votes, maintaining his lead from the 14th round of counting.
The election in Wadgaon Sheri drew significant attention due to the Mahayuti alliance's candidate selection process. BJP's Jagdish Mulik’s was willing to contest on party ticket from this constituency.
However, the constituency was given to NCP during the seat-sharing discussions within the Mahayuti. This had led to potential rebellion from Mulik, but he withdrew from the contest at the last minute after assurances from party leadership. Additionally, the Porsche accident controversy involving Tingre raised questions about its impact on voter sentiment.
Pathare, a former MLA, previously represented Wadgaon Sheri as a BJP candidate but switched allegiance to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction before the elections. This shift set up a high-stakes battle between the incumbent Tingre and Pathare.
Voters were left to decide whether Tingre’s developmental work would secure his re-election or if Pathare’s track record and party shift would give him the edge.
Pathare expressed confidence in his victory before the results, stating, “With the support of my workers and the people, I am confident of winning this election. Development has been our sole agenda, and the people have decided that they want Bapu Pathare as their MLA.”
In the 2019 elections, Sunil Tingre had won the seat as a candidate from the NCP. Pathare, who had last contested in 2009, secured a victory by a margin of 30,000–40,000 votes at that time.
However, in 2014, he finished third and did not contest the 2019 elections, paving the way for Tingre’s victory. This year, the tables turned as Pathare reclaimed the seat.