Pune News: The Kothrud constituency stands as a significant stronghold for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), extending its influence from the Pune Municipal Corporation all the way to Delhi. With a formidable lineup of leaders in power at both the central and state levels, the question arises: who will muster the courage to challenge the BJP’s dominance? As BJP leaders openly taunt their opponents, asserting their unwavering confidence, this bravado might just be their downfall. Hence, senior party leaders remain vigilant.
The Kothrud Assembly constituency encompasses regions such as Kothrud, Karvenagar, Warje, Baner, Balewadi, and Pashan. Notably, a significant number of Marathi families from the Mulaushi area have settled here. The Baner and Pashan regions also host native Marathi communities, contributing to a large population of Marathi voters. Alongside them are voters from the Brahmin and OBC communities. Factors such as Manoj Jarange Patil’s recent agitation, the stance of OBC voters, and the unification of opposition parties, including the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), could significantly sway the electoral outcome. (Pune News)
Discontent among the Republican Party of India (RPI) activists stems from their exclusion in seat allocation discussions. Approximately eight percent of voters belong to Scheduled Castes and Tribes, and their votes could prove decisive.
In the previous elections, BJP MP Medha Kulkarni made headlines by defeating Shiv Sena’s Chandrakant Mokate with a margin of 65,000 votes in 2014, effectively ending Shiv Sena’s hold in the constituency. In the 2019 elections, Chandrakant Patil from the BJP won against MNS candidate Kishor Shinde, with a substantial lead of 105,246 votes, further solidifying Kothrud’s reputation as a BJP bastion. (Pune Election News)
While it is widely believed that Chandrakant Patil will be the BJP’s candidate once again, former corporator Amol Balwadkar and Shyam Deshpande have also expressed their intentions to contest. Patil has been actively engaging with voters through various initiatives, while Balwadkar aims to match his efforts. However, questions remain about whether heavy spending can outshine the influential leadership represented by Patil.
Vijay Dakale from Ajit Pawar’s faction has publicly declared his candidacy, claiming potential support from discontented communities dissatisfied with the RPI’s marginalization.
With the Shiv Sena also eyeing this constituency, former MLA Chandrakant Mokate and Shiv Sena group leader Prithviraj Sutar have begun their grassroots campaigning. The Congress is represented by former corporator Ramchandra Kadam, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has candidates like Shankar Khemse and Deepak Manakar in the fray. The MNS has lawyer Kishor Shinde, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has Dr. Abhijit More vying for a chance. However, neither Congress nor NCP appears to have formidable candidates here, especially after the MNS was allocated this constituency during the seat-sharing negotiations but failed to secure a victory.
In the 2019 elections, the constituency had a total eligible voter base of 403,557, comprising 210,740 men and 192,812 women, with a small representation of five transgender voters. Scheduled Castes made up 6.45%, while Scheduled Tribes accounted for 1.17% of the electorate. The literacy rate in the constituency stands at an impressive 86.15%, indicating an informed voter base ready to make its voice heard in the upcoming elections.
