Manjusha Nagpure Secures Pune Mayoral Post Unopposed Following Opposition Withdrawal
In a significant political development, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Manjusha Nagpure has been declared elected unopposed as the mayor of Pune. This decisive outcome materialized after candidates from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Indian National Congress formally withdrew their nominations on Monday, effectively clearing the path for Nagpure's unanimous election.
Ending a Four-Year Leadership Vacancy
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will finally have a mayor after a prolonged gap of four years. The mayoral election had been consistently postponed due to various legal complications following the conclusion of the previous term in 2022. District Collector Jitendra Dudi, the designated officer responsible for conducting the mayoral election, officially announced, "Manjusha Nagpure is being declared elected as mayor of Pune." The prestigious position is constitutionally reserved for a woman corporator belonging to the general category.
Political Consensus for Unanimous Election
The withdrawal of opposition candidates followed a direct appeal from senior BJP leader Ganesh Bidkar. He urged the NCP and Congress to retract their nominations to facilitate a unanimous election. This gesture was intended to allow the immediate organization of a condolence meeting honoring two prominent late leaders: NCP's Ajit Pawar and Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi, both of whom passed away in January 2026. Both political parties agreed to this proposal, leading their respective candidates—NCP corporator Sheetal Sawanr and Congress corporator Ashwini Landge—to step aside from the electoral contest.
Profile of the New Mayor: Manjusha Nagpure
Manjusha Nagpure, aged 46, is a highly educated and experienced political figure. An MBA graduate, she hails from a family with strong ideological roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Nagpure is now a third-term corporator, having been elected unopposed in the recent PMC elections held on January 15, 2026. She represents the Suncity-Manikbaug ward located on Sinhagad Road.
Her political journey began in 2012 when she was first elected to the PMC from the Anandnagar area, also situated on Sinhagad Road. In the 2026 civic polls, she was preferred over other strong contenders, including four-time corporator Varsha Tapkir and three-time corporator Mansi Deshpande. Notably, the ward she represents falls within the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule—a constituency where the BJP has been actively campaigning to gain electoral ground.
Educational and Professional Background
Nagpure stands out as one of the most highly educated members of the PMC. She completed her undergraduate studies at Savitribai Phule Pune University in 1999 and later earned her Master's in Business Administration from ICFAI University in 2021. Before entering politics, she was employed with an information technology firm but decided to leave her corporate job to contest civic elections, encouraged by her family.
On the personal front, Nagpure is married to Deepak Nagpure, who serves as a BJP office-bearer. The couple manages a business with significant income derived from leasing commercial properties. According to disclosed records, her total declared assets are valued at approximately Rs 3.22 crore. She is also a mother to two children, aged 17 and five years.
Key Promises and Vision for Pune
During her election campaign, Mayor Nagpure outlined a comprehensive agenda focused on addressing Pune's critical urban challenges. Her primary commitments include:
- Traffic Management: Implementing measures to resolve the city's persistent traffic woes by improving traffic signal systems, widening key roads, and strengthening the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) bus service.
- Flood Mitigation: Representing the flood-prone Sinhagad Road area, she plans to construct a retaining wall alongside the Mutha River and establish an advanced flood alert system for early warnings to residents.
- Urban Beautification: Advocating for the "Swachh Ward, Beautiful Ward" concept to tackle the issue of waste dumping in open areas and pushing forward the river improvement and beautification project initiated by the PMC.
- Civic Infrastructure: Working towards upgrading civic hospitals and introducing digital education initiatives in schools managed by the municipal corporation.
The election of Manjusha Nagpure marks a new chapter in Pune's civic governance, ending years of administrative uncertainty. Her background in business, education, and grassroots politics positions her to lead the city through its ongoing urban transformation and infrastructure development challenges.
