PMC Elections 2026: Amol Balwadkar Defeats BJP in High-Stakes Baner–Balewadi Ward 9
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Baner, 17th January 2026: The Baner–Balewadi Ward No. 9 contest in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections drew statewide attention after a high-profile fallout between NCP leader Amol Balwadkar and BJP leaders turned the race into one of the most closely watched battles in the city.
In a fiercely contested election, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Amol Balwadkar, along with Baburao Chandere, emerged victorious from Ward No. 9. The ward also saw wins for BJP candidates Rohini Chimte and Mayuri Kokate.
The spotlight on Ward 9 intensified after the BJP dropped Amol Balwadkar’s ticket at the last moment, prompting him to join the NCP (Ajit Pawar) and contest against the BJP’s official candidate, Lahu Balwadkar. The dramatic political shift made the Baner–Balewadi ward one of the most keenly observed races in the PMC polls.
Vote counting for the ward began around 4 pm on Friday and continued until about 1.30 am on Saturday. The lead changed hands several times, creating tension among supporters of both sides as each counting round altered the equation. Ultimately, Amol Balwadkar defeated BJP’s Lahu Balwadkar by a margin of 903 votes.
During the campaign, the contest turned into a direct confrontation between Amol Balwadkar and senior BJP leaders, including Maharashtra’s Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil and Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol. The BJP deployed its full organisational machinery to defeat Balwadkar, while Balwadkar strongly criticised BJP leaders in his speeches, further heating up the political atmosphere in the ward.
With this victory, Amol Balwadkar’s switch to the NCP proved decisive in one of the most dramatic battles of the PMC Elections 2026.
