Pune MLC Election 2026: BJP Names Smita Jadhav, Kaustubh Gawde; Shiv Sena Fields Mangesh Chivate
Pune, 7th October 2026: The seat-sharing tussle within the Mahayuti ahead of the Pune graduate and teachers’ constituency elections has led to multiple candidates entering the fray, particularly for the teachers’ constituency.
The BJP has officially nominated Dr Smita Yogesh Jadhav for the Pune graduate constituency and Kaustubh Gawde for the teachers’ constituency.
The teachers’ constituency has also been claimed by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which has given its AB form to Mangesh Chivate. Chivate has filed his nomination. Meanwhile, Sachin Sanap, who was reportedly unhappy after not receiving the party’s nomination, has also filed his nomination as an independent candidate.
In the graduate constituency, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) has nominated Harshada Deshmukh-Jadhav. She has received the party’s AB form and filed her nomination.
The Pune graduate and teachers’ constituencies cover five districts — Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Solapur — making the elections significant across western Maharashtra.
The graduate constituency will see a contest between two candidates with the surname Jadhav. The BJP has fielded Dr Smita Yogesh Jadhav, while the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) has nominated Harshada Deshmukh-Jadhav.
Harshada Deshmukh-Jadhav is the daughter of former bureaucrat Prabhakar Deshmukh. Her name had been discussed for the Pune graduate constituency in recent days, with reports suggesting that she was keen to contest the election. The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) has now formally announced her candidature.
Deshmukh-Jadhav is an educationist, educational institution administrator and social worker. She has worked in the fields of education, women’s empowerment and rural development. She has also been associated with initiatives to promote sports and support athletes.
She has received several awards for her contributions to the education and social sectors. The Pune graduate constituency election will mark her electoral debut in active politics.
The entry of candidates from different parties, along with the independent candidature in the teachers’ constituency, has added to the contest for the two constituencies.
