BJP Fields Raghavendra ‘Bappu’ Mankar from Ward 25 for Pune Municipal Corporation Elections

Pune, 29th December 2025: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reposed confidence in sustained organisational work, city general secretary Raghavendra ‘Bappu’ Mankar said on Sunday after his candidature was announced for the Pune Municipal Corporation elections.

Mankar has been fielded from Ward No. 25, which includes Shaniwar Peth and Mahatma Phule Mandai, for the upcoming civic polls. Reacting to the decision, he said the party had recognised his nine years of work as a full-time worker within the organisation, both as an office-bearer and at the ward level.

Speaking to the media, Mankar said his tenure as Pune city president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, during which he worked closely with youth activists, strengthened organisational structure and outreach. He said his involvement in planning party programmes and maintaining continuous contact with residents of the ward played a key role in earning the trust of senior leaders.

“I am grateful to all senior leaders for placing their faith in me. With the guidance of booth-level workers and senior leaders including Union Minister Murlidhar Anna Mohol, state minister Chandrakant Patil, Kasba MLA Hemant Rasane and city BJP president Dheeraj Ghate, I am confident of securing a decisive victory for the party from this ward,” Mankar said.

According to party sources, Mankar has worked as a full-time organisational worker for the past nine years. In 2020, he played a key role in building a strong youth network across Pune city. During the period when the BJP was in the opposition, he actively participated in various agitations and initiatives undertaken by the party and fulfilled organisational responsibilities assigned to him.

In recognition of this work, the party entrusted him with the responsibility of BJP Pune city general secretary. He also handled key organisational and campaign-related duties during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Party insiders say these contributions led to a consensus among senior leaders to give him the green signal for the PMC ticket.

Mankar’s consistent engagement with citizens at the ward level is also seen as a major factor behind his candidature. Since 2016, he has been running a 24-hour public outreach office in the ward, through which thousands of residents’ issues have been addressed. This sustained contact with voters is expected to work in his favour in the upcoming municipal elections.

Explaining the initiative, Mankar said the round-the-clock public office was started to ensure that senior citizens and local residents could seek help at any time. Local discussions suggest that more than 6,000 civic and personal issues have been resolved through this office over the years, strengthening his connect with the electorate.