PMC Elections 2026: Raghavendra Bappu Mankar Scripts Biggest Victory in Maharashtra

Shaniwar Peth, 17th January 2026: Raghavendra Bappu Mankar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the highest-margin winner in Maharashtra’s municipal elections, securing a record victory from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Ward 25-B with a margin of 26,497 votes.

The results of the elections to 29 municipal corporations across the state were declared on Friday. In Pune, the BJP posted a sweeping performance, winning over 120 seats in the PMC. In Ward 25, all four seats went to the BJP, with Raghavendra Bappu Mankar, Swarada Bapat, Kunal Tilak and Swapnali Pandit registering comfortable victories.

Mankar, contesting his first election, polled 31,981 votes—about 79.34 percent of the total votes cast in the ward—making him not only the top performer in Pune but also the candidate with the highest vote margin across Maharashtra in this election cycle.

Elsewhere in Pune, BJP candidates also recorded large margins. Bharatbhushan Barate won from Ward 32-B with a margin of around 25,000 votes, while Ratnamala Satav secured a victory from Ward 4-B with a margin of about 23,000 votes. In Mumbai, Nil Somaiya topped the list with a 15,000-vote margin in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, while in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Nitin Nikhalje emerged as the highest-margin winner.

Reacting to his victory, Mankar said the result was a collective achievement. “The strong organisation built by senior workers in my ward, the tireless efforts of party office-bearers, the support of friends and family during the campaign, and consistent work for citizens have earned me this overwhelming mandate. I thank every resident of the ward for their trust and affection. This record margin is just an electoral outcome; my focus now will be on making the ward one of the most developed in Pune and Maharashtra,” he said.