Pune (Maharashtra) [India], February 9 : BJP corporator Manjusha Nagpure was elected unopposed as the mayor of Pune after candidates from the NCP and Congress withdrew their nominations at the very last moment of the mayoral post contest. Following an appeal by BJP's Group Leader in PMC Ganesh Bidkar to ensure a peaceful election, Sheetal Sawant of the NCP and Ashwini Landge of the Congress pulled out of the contest.
Bidkar urged political parties to avoid a contest as a mark of respect for the late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar and former Union Minister and Pune MP Suresh Kalmadi, who passed away recently.
A total of three nominations had been filed for the mayoral post before the withdrawals.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single-largest party in the recently concluded PMC election after a 4-year gap.
Republican Party of India (Athawale) Leader Parshuram Wadekar, was elected as Deputy Mayor of Pune unopposed.
Earlier, Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol expressed confidence that the BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) will once again secure the Mayor's post in the Pune Municipal Corporation Election, citing extensive development works carried out in the city under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at theCentre, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis led NDA government in Maharashtra.
Murlidhar Mohol noted previously that, while 83 seats were mandated for women candidates under 50 per cent reservation norms, the BJP has allotted tickets to 92 women candidates, underscoring its commitment to women's representation.
Asked about seat-sharing, Mohol said the BJP is ready to allot 16 seats to Shiv Sena in Pune. "Despite the BJP having 105 corporators in the previous term, we have consistently worked towards an alliance. Differences over seat-sharing existed at the local level, but the matter is now being resolved under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde," he said earlier.