PCMC elections: NCP’s Yogesh Behl aiming for record 7th term, BJP’s Usha Dhore eyes 5th

The first elections to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) were held in 1986. And since then, Yogesh Behl has been contesting the civic elections. This time, he is contesting for the eighth consecutive time. Till now, he has won a record six times and lost only once.

“I contested my first PCMC election when I was just 22 years old. I fought the election against the bigwigs of that time and lost only by a small margin of 36 votes. But after losing my first election, I have never lost another one. I have won six consecutive polls,” Yogesh Behl, who is currently heading the Pimpri-Chinchwad unit of the NCP, told The Indian Express Saturday.

“In 1986, I was contesting as an independent, yet I put up a strong fight. I lost by a small margin of votes to Vasant Shevde of the BJP. The Congress then had fielded the nephew of a minister,” recalled Behl.

Since 1986, Behl has contested from the Sant Tukaram Nagar-Vallabhnagar ward. Whenever it was converted into a Prabhag (a bigger ward), he then also represented nearby areas, including Nashik Phata and Kasarwadi. This time, too, he is contesting from the Sant-Tukaram Nagar-Kasarwadi Prabhag.

Behl said that, except for the first election, he has rarely faced any strong contenders. Incidentally, his main opponent has been Yashwant Bhosale, a prominent labour leader from Pimpri-Chinchwad. Yashwant Bhosale lost all five times he contested against Behl.

Talking about their rivalry, Yashwant Bhosale said, He (Behl) might claim that ours was not a close contest, but the fact is it was always a close contest. I think in every election, my margin of defeat was not more than 200-300. Though I lost by a margin of over 3,500 votes in the 2017 Prabhag elections, I garnered 9,000 votes, which clearly showed many people were against my rival.”

Behl’s victories are mainly attributed to his close connection with his voters. Some of the voters in his ward said he is available all the time and is easily accessible, which works in his favour in every election. “People believe in his ability to deliver. Everyone knows he is well-connected with top leaders in his party and knows several ministers,” said Jayant Kariya, an activist from Kasarwadi.

However, Yashwant Bhosale alleged that Behl used unfair means to win elections. “He is a cash-rich person and uses every other means to woo the voters. But I have never done anything wrong to impress the voters. I have always followed the democratic means,” claimed Yashwant Bhosale.

Behl was first elected as a Congress corporator in 1992 and re-elected in 1996. After the NCP was formed in 1999, he joined the party and has never left it. He has served as mayor, standing committee chairman, PCMC House leader and even as Opposition leader.

If Yogesh Behl is eyeing a record seventh term, there are a few others who are contesting either for the third, fourth or fifth time.

Usha (Mai) Dhore is contesting for a straight fifth term from the Sangvi area. Twice she had won on an NCP ticket and twice on a BJP ticket. Dhore, re-fielded by the BJP this time, has also served as mayor of Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Seema Sawale, who recently switched to the NCP from the BJP, is contesting for the fourth term from the Indrayani Nagar-Balajinagar area. Sawale served as the standing committee chairperson of the PCMC in 2017. Sawale is facing a challenge this time from Dr Suhas Kamble, a prominent orthopaedic surgeon who runs the Sai Hospital in the Moshi area. “Our area has always witnessed keen contests. It has kept the entire Pimpri-Chinchwad interested,” said Sawale.

Raju Misal, who recently switched over to the BJP from the NCP, is also contesting for the fourth term from the Pradhikaran area. “Raju Misal has been a close aide of Ajit Pawar. But due to election compulsions, he had to shift to the BJP. Unlike other leaders who wake up during elections, Raju Misal has a team that works throughout the year, trying to resolve citizens’ complaints. And that has always kept him in the good books of the voters,” said Iklas Sayeed, a resident of Akurdi.

Usha Waghere, who is contesting from Pimprigaon, has been elected three times as a corporator. This is her fourth time, and she is contesting from the same Pimprigaon area. Her husband, Sanjog Waghere, who is not contesting this time, has won four times. While Sanjog Waghere and his father Bhiku Waghere-Patil both have served as mayor of Pimpri-Chinchwad in the past, Usha Waghere had been the standing committee chairperson of PCMC.

Nana Kate, former NCP Pimpri-Chinchwad president, is contesting for the third time from the Pimple Saudagar area. He is contesting on an NCP ticket. His wife, Sheetal Kate, is also contesting for the third time from Pimple Saudagar. It was Nana Kate, who is close to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, to whom Baramati MP Supriya Sule had first spoken about the need for two NCPs to come together. After which, the two factions got to the discussion table.

Rahul Bhosale is contesting for the third time from the Nehrunagar area. Before him, his father had won the elections from 1986 to 2007. “There is complete domination of the Bhosale family in the Nehrunagar area. Before Rahul, his father Hanumant Bhosale had become a corporator from the Nehrunagar area for consecutive terms. His father had also been the mayor of Pimpri-Chinchwad,” said advocate Sushil Mancharkar, who lives in the area.

In Wakad, Rahul Kalate is contesting his second civic elections but his mother and his father had won from the same area in the past elections. Rahul Kalate is contesting this time on a BJP ticket. He was earlier in Shiv Sena (UBT). His opponent, Mayur Kalate, is contesting for the second time on an NCP ticket.

The PCMC elections will be held on January 15.