- By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
- Fri, 02 Jan 2026 02:57 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Pune Civic Polls: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has cancelled the candidacy of Pooja More Jadhav for the upcoming Pune civic elections. Jadhav was set to contest from Ward No. 2 on the Mahayuti ally, Republican Party of India (RPI) ticket, for the local body polls scheduled for January 15.
According to news agency PTI, the candidate had already received her Forms A and B, which are crucial for filing nominations from the party. However, her candidature was thrown into jeopardy and cancelledafter an old video of her went viral on social media. Union Minister and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol on Thursday confirmed that Pooja Jadhav had officially withdrawn her nomination
The viral video purportedly showed Pooja Jadhav making personal remarks against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his wife, Amruta Fadnavis, during the Maratha reservation movement. The emergence of the footage triggered online criticism and leading to the cancellation of her candidature.
Pune Civic Polls: BJP Candidate’s Response
After the controversy and the cancellation of her candidature, Pooja More Jadhav defended herself, claiming she was the victim of a targeted social media trolling campaign.
"They spread false information about me and tried to portray me as someone who does not believe in the BJP's ideology. Given the trolling, I made the conscious decision to withdraw my nomination," Jadhav stated. She further claimed that the remarks regarding Devendra Fadnavis originated with someone else and that she was being made a scapegoat unnecessarily.
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Pune Civic Polls: Both Factions Of NCP Reunite
Ahead of the Pune Civic Polls, a significant pre-poll realignment, the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have joined forces for the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections. This tactical alliance between the groups led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar marks the first time the 'family' has reunited electorally since the party's bitter split in 2023
“After discussions, party workers who are contesting expressed that uniting with Ajit Pawar would be the right move. This is an election of the workers; therefore, after listening to them, both parties have decided to contest together,” a spokesperson said. Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar and party supremo of NCP-AP has hailed this alliance as the ‘reunion of parivar’.
Beyond Pune, both factions have also decided to join hands for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections as well.