Pune: Internal discussions within Mahayuti (Grand Alliance) suggest that the BJP may have to concede Khadakwasla assembly constituency to Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the upcoming state assembly elections.
As part of the seat-sharing negotiations, BJP is eyeing Wadgaon Sheri, currently held by NCP MLA Sunil Tingre. Tingre had defeated BJP’s Jagdish Mulik in the previous election, a loss that stung Mulik deeply.
Though the BJP and NCP have allied at the state level, personal rivalries between Tingre and Mulik remain. If Mulik's claim to Wadgaon Sheri is accepted by the alliance, the BJP may have to concede Khadakwasla to Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, making the constituency swap a likely compromise.
In the previous election, the Mahayuti candidate Sunetra Pawar failed to secure the expected voter majority in Khadakwasla, hinting at dissatisfaction with the BJP’s alliance with Ajit Pawar's NCP.
However, the situation has changed, and the BJP may now be compelled to give up its stronghold to accommodate the demands of Ajit Pawar's faction in exchange for securing the Wadgaon Sheri constituency.
Khadakwasla has been a reliable seat for the BJP, with MLA Bhimrao Tapkir winning three consecutive terms. Tapkir first gained the seat in a closely contested by-election in 2011, defeating Harshada Wanjale, wife of the late MLA Ramesh Wanjale, by a narrow margin of 3,625 votes.
Tapkir went on to win comfortably in the subsequent elections of 2014 and 2019, benefiting from the large BJP voter base in the region. Now preparing for a fourth term, Tapkir faces a new challenge as the alliance dynamics with Ajit Pawar’s faction could shift the constituency away from the BJP.
Multiple Contenders Emerge In the Mahayuti alliance, current MLA Bhimrao Tapkir is still a leading candidate for the Khadakwasla seat.
However, from Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, former opposition leader Dilip Barate is also being considered. Tapkir had previously defeated Barate by over 63,000 votes in the 2014 election.
Adding to the complexity, Mayur Wanjale, son of the late Ramesh Wanjale, has emerged as a possible contender from Ajit Pawar’s faction, with his banners appearing in the constituency.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena’s Shinde faction has also indicated interest, with former Zilla Parishad member Ramesh Konde preparing to run.
