Pune: BJP and Congress Locked in Tight Contest for Parvati Vidhan Sabha Constituency
Pune,15th May 2024: In the Pune Lok Sabha constituency, the Parvati Vidhan Sabha Constituency holds significant sway, with both the BJP and Congress expected to lead. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate Girish Bapat secured a lead of 67,000 votes, while in the 2019 Vidhan Sabha elections, BJP MLA Madhuri Misal also led by 37,000 votes.
This election saw a voter turnout of 55.47% from the Parvati Vidhan Sabha constituency, up from 53.07% in 2019, with an increase of 7,739 voters compared to last year. With 3,41,055 voters in Parvati Vidhan Sabha, 1,89,739 have cast their votes this time. Approximately 45% of the population in this constituency resides in slum areas, while settlements and housing societies make up the remaining 55%. Out of the 25 corporators representing this Vidhan Sabha constituency in the Pune Municipal Corporation, 20 belong to the BJP.
In the Parvati Vidhan Sabha constituency, areas like Taljai, Janata Vasahat, Dandekar Bridge, Dattawadi, Panmala, Mahadev Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Prem Nagar on Sinhagad Road, and Indira Colony in Gultekdi constitute significant vote banks for the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), with the BJP-Shiv Sena also having some influence. Compared to housing societies, there was noticeable enthusiasm for voting from this area.
Similarly, in Sane Guruji Nagar, Municipal Colony, Shivdarshan, Parvati Darshan, Maharshi Nagar, Bibwewadi Gaothan, and Lakshmi Nagar, there is a large number of voters who turned out in large numbers. This area comprises pockets of support for the Congress, NCP, BJP, Shiv Sena, and RPI. Additionally, there are numerous housing associations, dominated by communities such as Jains, Maheshwaris, Brahmins, and Marathas, among others, with a significant portion aligning with the BJP.
Once a stronghold of the Congress, the BJP has gained ground in this constituency. This year, Dhangekar made a concentrated effort to garner more votes from Parvati, particularly focusing on the slum areas. Since many traders reside in this locality, with their businesses situated in the Kasba Vidhan Sabha Constituency, Dhangekar also intensified his engagement with them. Meanwhile, in anticipation of the upcoming Assembly elections, Misal expanded her campaign efforts with the support of allied parties. As a result, expectations within the Mahayuti alliance have soared in this constituency, while the Mahavikas Aghadi is confident in securing votes here, primarily relying on the support from the slums.
Key Points:
– Parvati Vidhan Sabha is currently under the control of the BJP, with MLAs serving their third term.
– Several senior Congress leaders reside in this area.
– The slums constitute a significant vote bank for the Congress and NCP.
– The question remains: who will sway the traders’ votes?
