Congress Appoints Ramchandra Kadam as Group Leader in Pune Civic Body
Pune, 30th January 2026: In a significant political development in a city long considered a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stronghold, the Congress party has appointed senior corporator Advocate Ramchandra alias Chandusheth Kadam as its group leader in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
The decision comes on the back of the party’s improved performance in the recent civic elections, where Congress secured 15 seats in the 165-member civic body. Kadam was unanimously elected to the leadership post at a meeting held at Congress Bhavan, chaired by Pune City District Congress Committee President Arvind Shinde.
Several senior leaders and office-bearers were present at the meeting, including Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Treasurer Adv. Abhay Chhajed, former MLA Deepti Chaudhary, party spokesperson Gopal Tiwari, city vice-president Ajit Darekar, and Prachi Dudhane. Before the formal selection, former minister and Pune Congress observer Satej Patil reportedly held one-on-one consultations with the newly elected corporators, with Kadam receiving unanimous backing.
Following his appointment, Kadam and party representatives submitted an official letter to the Divisional Commissioner, formally confirming his selection as group leader.
Kadam’s elevation is seen as politically noteworthy as he represents Kothrud, an area widely regarded as a BJP bastion. Despite the BJP’s strong organisational base in the constituency, Kadam has sustained and gradually expanded the Congress footprint there over the past two decades.
He first entered the PMC in 2007 as a nominated corporator and later strengthened his local base by winning direct elections in 2012, 2017, and 2026.
Known for his work in education, healthcare, infrastructure development, women’s empowerment, and labour welfare, Kadam built a reputation as an accessible grassroots leader. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he is credited with facilitating free vaccination drives for thousands of women and assisting residents in accessing government welfare schemes. His close engagement with citizens has earned him the nickname “Aapla Chandusheth” among supporters.
Political observers believe his appointment signals the Congress party’s intent to consolidate its urban base and mount a more assertive challenge to the BJP in Pune’s civic politics.
