The upcoming civic body elections in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad have taken on a distinctly familial character. In a notable trend, political parties have fielded at least six husband-wife pairs, transforming several ward contests into joint family endeavors. These couples, cutting across party lines, are campaigning together in a strategic push to secure victory for each other.
A Strategic Move by Political Parties
This phenomenon is largely attributed to the challenge parties face in identifying women candidates with a strong independent local base. As a solution, they are turning to the spouses of established local leaders. In multiple wards, influential male leaders are contesting from general seats while their wives are nominated from the adjacent women-reserved seats. This tactic is seen as a way for parties to consolidate and retain their influence over a particular area.
Of the six couples in the fray, four are contesting from the exact same ward, while two are fighting from neighboring wards. The political affiliation of these pairs is varied: two belong to the NCP, two to the BJP, and one each to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Indian National Congress.
On the Campaign Trail: Shared Responsibilities
For couples competing in the same ward, daily campaigning has become a shared routine. They often start their door-to-door outreach together, spending a significant portion of the day canvassing voters side-by-side. This joint effort allows them to cover more ground and present a united front to the electorate.
Congress candidates Avinash Bagwe and his wife Indira, contesting from ward 22 in Pune, exemplify this approach. While Avinash is a former corporator, Indira is making her electoral debut. "When we campaign together in the ward, the response and warmth shown by residents makes us feel encouraged," said Indira. She highlighted that her husband's long political career and local connections have helped her adapt to the challenges of campaigning.
The Bagwes have also divided coordination responsibilities to manage their workload efficiently. However, the intense campaign schedule comes at a personal cost. "My son is in Std XII and my daughter is in Std X... We are not able to give them as much attention as we would like to, but we manage," Avinash Bagwe added.
The Contending Couples: A Detailed List
The six husband-wife pairs contesting the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic polls are:
- NCP: Vitthal alias Nana Kate and his wife Sheetal from Ward 28 in Pimpri Chinchwad. This is the only couple with prior experience, as both were elected from the same ward in 2017.
- NCP: Moreshwar Bhondave and his wife Jayashree from Ward 16 in Pimpri Chinchwad. Moreshwar is a former corporator, while Jayashree is a first-time candidate.
- MNS: Sachin Chikhale and his wife Ashwini from Ward 13 in Pimpri Chinchwad.
- Congress: Avinash Bagwe and his wife Indira from Ward 22 in Pune.
- BJP: Sanjay Bhosale (contesting from Ward 6 in Pune) and his wife Ashwini (contesting from Ward 13 in Pune).
- BJP: Surendra Pathare (contesting from Ward 4 of Pune) and his wife Aishwarya (contesting from Ward 3 of Pune).
It is noteworthy that except for Surendra Pathare, all five other male candidates were elected as corporators in the 2017 municipal elections. For all couples except the Kates, this is their first time contesting as a pair.
Consolidating the Local Vote Bank
The trend underscores a pragmatic, if not novel, electoral strategy in urban local body polls. By fielding spouses, parties are leveraging the existing goodwill and network of a known local leader to support a new candidate. As NCP's Moreshwar Bhondave, contesting with his wife Jayashree from ward 16, stated, "...since both of us are contesting from the same ward, it is easier to reach a larger number of voters and seek support." The outcome of these wards will reveal whether voters favor this model of combined political representation or seek more independent candidates.
