PUNE: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now faces the challenge of finalising mayoral candidates for PMC and PCMC following its spectacular performance in the civic polls. With several senior corporators eyeing the prestigious posts, the party is navigating a “problem of plenty”. In the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the BJP secured a dominant 119 out of 165 seats— a significant jump of 22 seats compared to the 2017 elections, where it won 97.
The list of frontrunners for the Pune mayor’s chair is extensive. Key names include former leader of the house Shrinath Bhimale and Ganesh Bidkar, city unit chief Dheeraj Ghate, and senior corporators Prasanna Jagtap and Anil Tingre. The party is also considering women leaders, including Manjusha Nagpure and Varsha Tapkir. The mayoral seat was in the “open category” during the last term (2017–2022). Late MLA Mukta Tilak served the first two-and-a-half years, followed by current Pune MP Muralidhar Mohol, who held the post until the general body was dissolved in 2022. BJP sources indicated on Saturday that the party might pull a “surprise pick” this time. “The results are out, but we are waiting for clarity on the party’s internal preferences. The leadership will likely choose someone who can command the house and possesses deep knowledge of the city’s urban challenges. The possibility of a woman mayor cannot be ruled out,” said a former BJP corporator. While the official reservation for the mayoral post is yet to be announced, lobbying has already begun. Despite the intense competition, party insiders dismissed reports of internal friction, maintaining that workers will strictly adhere to the high command’s decision. The State Election Commission is expected to conduct the reservation lottery for the posts within the next two weeks. A similar scenario is unfolding in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, where the BJP must select a mayor from its 84 winning corporators. Leading the race are city unit chief Shatrughna Kate and senior corporators Anuradha Gorakhe, Vinayak Gaikwad, and Asha Suryavanshi. A party functionary confirmed that a meeting with all newly elected corporators will be held soon to discuss the mayoral appointments and the party’s roadmap for the twin cities. # BJP met a clear majority in both PMC and PCMC # The party can select the mayor on its own without support from any other party # The party is likely to throw its weight behind senior corporators # Many corporators will be in the race # The state election commission is yet to finalise the lottery for reservation of the mayor post
