Pune, 3rd February 2026: The Indian National Congress has formally entered the Pune mayoral election by filing nomination papers for both mayor and deputy mayor, ending the Bharatiya Janata Party’s efforts to secure an unopposed victory.
Congress has named Ashwini Landge as its mayoral candidate and Sahil Kedari for the deputy mayor’s post.
The nomination papers were submitted to the municipal secretary, making the election a contested one. Until Congress stepped in, BJP was working towards ensuring that its candidate was elected without a vote. The Congress move has now forced an electoral process.
Congress leader Arvind Shinde criticised the Nationalist Congress Party for staying away from the election. He said that voting for the clock symbol effectively means voting for the BJP, and added that since NCP has not fielded even a single candidate, Congress decided to submit its own nominations.
The BJP has fielded Manjusha Nagpure for the mayor’s post, while the Republican Party of India has nominated Parshuram Wadekar for deputy mayor. With NCP choosing to remain out of the race, the political contest has narrowed, though it remains symbolically significant.
However, Congress faces a tough challenge. With only 15 corporators in the Pune Municipal Corporation, the party’s chances of winning are slim. Even so, by entering the race, Congress has ensured that the mayoral election will not be decided unopposed.