While the BJP announced its candidates in the first list ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls, the party did not announce its candidate for the highly prestigious Kasba assembly constituency. Along with Kasba, former MLA from Vadgaonsheri Jagdish Mulik was eyeing the ticket; however, the constituency did not make it to the list either.

Now, it is likely that Vadgaonsheri might go to the NCP, which has sitting MLA Sunil Tingre. Meanwhile, Kasba is in the news for several names from the BJP.

Mulik Vs Tingre

Jagdish Mulik has made it clear to the party leadership time and again that he wants to contest from the seat. However, as per the policy of the Mahayuti, seats go to the party that has the incumbent MLA. The NCP has the incumbent there; however, Tingre was recently entangled in the Porsche accident and was accused of influencing the process of lodging the FIR.

Tingre, the MLA from Vadgaonsheri in Pune city, faced criticism for allegedly attempting to influence the investigation into an accident to protect the minor driver. This scrutiny intensified after he visited the Yerwada police station, which was handling the case, following the early morning crash on May 19. He dismissed these allegations. However, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar disclosed that NCP MLA Sunil Tingre was questioned by police for three to four hours after the fatal Porsche car crash involving a minor in May in Pune, but asserted that his party colleague had no role in the events following the accident.

A Porsche, allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy—son of a prominent real estate developer—under the influence of alcohol, fatally struck two motorbike-borne IT professionals in Kalyani Nagar, which is part of the Vadgaonsheri assembly segment.

This led to a slight setback for the NCP as Tingre was also questioned by the police.

A few days ago, after writing a letter to the voters of the Vadgaonsheri assembly constituency, former BJP MLA Jagdish Mulik reiterated that the BJP will contest the seat.

While speaking to the media, Mulik stated that if the BJP receives the ticket, the Mahayuti alliance will definitely win the seat.

In the 2019 assembly polls, Mulik lost to NCP’s Sunil Tingre by 4,975 votes.

The Vadgaonsheri constituency in Pune is generating significant political buzz. Recently, BJP leader Bapusaheb Pathare joined the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction). Pathare is likely to be a candidate for the Vadgaonsheri assembly constituency in Pune, potentially competing against the current NCP MLA Sunil Tingre.

Bapusaheb Pathare, who was previously with the undivided NCP, was elected as an MLA in 2009. He contested the elections again in 2014 but was defeated by BJP's Jagdish Mulik. He did not run in the 2019 election and joined the BJP that same year.

In the 2024 General Election, the Vadgaonsheri Assembly represented by the alliance partner NCP gave a lead of around 14,000 votes to BJP. So now, it will be of great curiosity as to who gets the ticket from the seat.

Meanwhile, in Kasba, BJP city president Dheeraj Ghate, son of the late former MLA Mukta Tilak, Kunal Tilak, and Hemant Rasane, who lost in the recently held bypolls, are eager to contest the polls.