Political Dynasties Secure Major Wins in Maharashtra Civic Polls
Voters across Maharashtra delivered a clear message in recent municipal corporation elections. They showed strong support for candidates from established political families. Many relatives of sitting and former elected representatives won their seats decisively. This outcome suggests political nepotism did not become a major issue for the electorate.
Prominent Victories Across Key Regions
In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the son and daughter of minister Sanjay Shirsat both won their respective contests. Rushikesh, son of MLA Pradeep Jaiswal, secured victory on a Shiv Sena ticket. Sachin, nephew of former MP Chandrakant Khaire, also emerged triumphant. However, Shiv Sena (UBT) member Ambadas Danve faced disappointment as his brother Rajendra lost the election.
Kolhapur witnessed a significant win for Ruturaj, son of Shiv Sena MLA Rajesh Kshirsagar. He received nearly nine thousand votes in his first electoral attempt. Ruturaj credited his father's guidance and his own groundwork for the success. He stated that people voted based on his work over the past seven years.
Satyajeet Jadhav, son of former MLAs Chandrakant Jadhav and Jayashri Jadhav, also won his seat. In Sangli, Harshwardhan Patil achieved victory at just twenty-three years old. He defeated BJP candidate Manoj Sargar by a margin of over fifteen hundred votes. Harshwardhan comes from a prominent political lineage as the son of former Union minister Pratik Patil and great-grandson of former chief minister Vasantdada Patil. He holds a master's degree in operations and supply chain management from Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom.
Mixed Results in Mumbai and Nashik
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections saw wins for Ankit, son of Sena (UBT) MLA Sunil Prabhu, and Gitesh, son of former MP Vinayak Raut. However, voters rejected several other political relatives. Former minister Nawab Malik's brother Kaptan faced defeat. Former MP Rahul Shewale's sister-in-law Vaishali lost her contest. Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar's daughter Dipti also failed to secure victory.
The Bharatiya Janata Party had announced it would not offer tickets to relatives of sitting representatives and ministers. Despite this declaration, the party fielded Yogesh, brother-in-law of Nashik MLA Seema Hirey. He ultimately lost the election. Nupur, daughter of BJP state spokesperson Laxman Savaji, also faced defeat. The party primarily nominated relatives of former representatives in Nashik. Several of these candidates won their seats. Deepali Gite, wife of former NMC standing committee chairman Ganesh Gite, secured victory. Sandhya Kulkarni, daughter of former mayor Satish Kulkarni, won her contest. Aditi Pande, daughter-in-law of former mayor Vinayak Pande, also emerged victorious.
Family Legacies Continue in Pune Region
Pune witnessed Swarada Bapat retaining the family's stronghold in Kasba Peth. She is the daughter-in-law of late minister Girish Bapat. Kunal, son of former mayor late Mukta Tilak, entered city politics with a successful debut. Swarada expressed pride in continuing her family's legacy. She attributed the win to people's faith in her family and promised to work hard for city residents.
First-time contestants Surendra Pathare and his wife Aishwarya Pathare both won their elections. Surendra is the son of NCP MLA Bapu Pathare. The couple joined the BJP shortly before the polls. Surendra addressed speculation about voter dissatisfaction regarding their last-minute party switch. He stated that their continuous grassroots work earned public trust. Their campaign focused on development issues, and they pledged to fulfill their promises.
In Pimpri Chinchwad, Vishwajit Barne won his first election. He is the son of three-time MP Srirang Barne. Vishwajit acknowledged his father's popularity and work contributed to his victory. He also highlighted his own active involvement in the area over recent years. He promised to work diligently to prove voters made the right choice.
Siddhartha Bansode, son of three-time MLA and former deputy speaker of the legislative assembly, secured a win in Pimpri. Viraj Lande, nephew of former Bhosari MLA Vilas Lande, claimed his first electoral victory. Anuradha Gorkhe, mother of MLC Amit Gorkhe, won with a comfortable margin.
These election results demonstrate the continuing influence of political families in Maharashtra's local governance. Voters appear to value familiarity and established connections alongside individual candidate efforts.
