PUNE: State and district-level leaders retained power in the gram panchayat (GP) polls in the district. The elections were held for 99 GPs in the district on Tuesday. Their results were declared on Wednesday.

However, voters rejected the local leaders, who were in power for the past many years. They preferred young sarpanches to established leaders.

Among the leaders, who have succeeded in retaining or wresting power, are NCP’s Ajit Pawar (Katewadi, Baramati taluka), NCP’s Dilip Walse Patil and Vivek Walse Patil (Nirgudsar, Ambegaon taluka), BJP’s Balasaheb Gawade (Parwadi, Baramati taluka), NCP’s Sharad Lende and Sharad Sonawane (Pimpalwandi, Junnar taluka) and Shiv Sena’s Asha Buchke (Buchkewadi, Junnar taluka). Lende and Sonawane had formed an all-party front in Pimpalwandi. Now, they will jointly rule the village.

Of the 99 GPs, for which the polls were conducted, the NCP won over half of them. The Congress is at the second position while the BJP, ruling in the State and at the Centre, is at the third position.

Meanwhile, many villages elected sarpanches and members belonging to rival panels. Hence, these sarpanches will have a tightrope walk while ruling the respective GPs.

NCP WINS KATEWADI GP POLL
People across the district were eager to know the results of the Katewadi (Baramati taluka) GP poll, where NCP-backed Bhawanimata Panel scored a landslide victory. NCP’s Vidyadhar Kate won by 1,592 votes against BJP-RSP’s Pandurang Kachare. All members of the NCP-backed panel registered victory in the elections. The elected NCP members were later felicitated by Sunetra Pawar.