Pune is a city of many identities – it is dubbed an educational hub, an IT hub and even a city of retired people. Many of the residents are migrants who came here to work in the manufacturing industry that had been flourishing since 1960s. Since 1991, the IT industry has been thriving here and people from across the country have migrated in pursuit of employment in the sector.
The parliamentary constituency of Pune, Number 34, is comprised of six state assembly constituencies: Vadgaonsheri (208), Shivajinagar (209), Kothrud (210), Parvati (212), Pune Cantonment (214), Kasbapeth (215).
Though Pune has sent India National Congress candidates to the Lok Sabha seven times, the city elected socialist party members twice, in 1957 and 1967. Bharatiya Janata Party made its foray in 1991 when Anna Joshi got elected. Since then, BJP has had three winners including Joshi, the two others being Pradip Rawat (1999) and Anil Shirole (2014).
The total number of voters in the Pune Lok Sabha constituency, as of April 2019, stood at 20,74,801 that includes 10,67,516 males, 10,07,263 women and 82 transgender.
31 candidates are contesting the election, 15 of them as Independent. Only one among them is a woman. Links to their affidavits and other details can be found towards the end of this article. 12 people withdrew their nominations while 16 nominations were rejected by the Election Commission.
[flexiblemap src=”http://data.opencity.in/Data/Maharashatra-Parliament-Constituency-Pune-Map-V-1.kml” width=”100%” height=”400px” ]
Note – Map for representation purpose | Source – http://datameet.org
Lok Sabha 2014 Results
Incumbent MP: Anil Shirole, BJP
In elections to the 16th Lok Sabha, 54.1% of the 1835835 electors in the constituency cast valid votes.
| Name of Candidate | Party | Votes Secured | Vote share ( over total votes polled ) |
| Anil Shirole | BJP | 569825 | 57.32% |
| Dr Vishwajeet Patangrao Kadam | INC | 254056 | 25.55% |
| Deepak Natharam Paigude | MNS | 93502 | 9.41% |
| NOTA | — | 6438 | 0.65% |
Source: Election Commission of India
Know Your Candidate
Girish Bhalchandra Bapat (Bharatiya Janata Party)
Girish Bapat, the sitting MLA from Kasabapeth state constituency (in Pune city) and Cabinet Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Food and Drugs Administration, Parliamentary Affairs in Government of Maharashtra. He has been an MLA at the same constituency for over two decades, winning the seat in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014. Earlier, he had been elected as Corporator of the Pune Municipal Corporation thrice since 1983.
- Age: 68 years
- Education:Graduate; Bachelors in Commerce
- Email: mlagirishbapat3@gmail.com
- Facebook:facebook.com/girishbapat
- Twitter:@MinGirishBapat
Criminal cases: One
There is one case filed against him under Section 37(1)(3), 135 Mumbai Police Act.
Assets and liabilities
| Year | Assets | Liabilities |
| Lok Sabha 2019 | Rs 5,79,59,302 | Rs 17,93, 891 |
Source: myneta.info
View the affidavit filed by him with Election Commission of India here
In the news
Bapat has often made headlines for making controversial statements. In September 2015, he stirred up a row by making an objectionable statement while talking to students at a Pune convention. “We also watch those video clips which you see on your mobiles at night. Do not think we have turned old. We are still young at heart,” he had said.
In January 2018, he again caused embarrassment for the BJP government when a video of him went viral. In that he was shown at a pomegranate farmers’ meet, saying that the government would change the following year and so, those who wanted their demands to be met must follow up rigorously.
In August of the same year, , the MLA, who was also the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government, was fined Rs 10000 by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on a plea filed by a senior citizen. Kausalya Neware accused the minister of entertaining a ‘revision petition’ against her, though the issue was not in his ambit, when a fair price shop had been transferred in her name.
In January 2019, he earned a strong reprimand from the Bombay High Court for ‘misusing his position’ to quash a probe against a FPS owner in Beed district who was caught selling foodgrains and kerosene in the black market.
Mohan Joshi (Indian National Congress)
Mohan Joshi, Congress loyalist, will be contesting from the Pune constituency this general election. Joshi has held a number of posts in the party, including that of MPCC Youth Congress president in the 1980s as party chief in Pune from 1997-2005. In 1999, he had contested the Lok Sabha elections from Pune but lost to the BJP candidate Pradeep Rawat. Between 2008 and 2014, he served as Member of Legislative Council (MLC).
- Age: 63 years
- Edu: 10th grade
- Occupation: Kerosine Dealership, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Pune
- Email:mohanjoshi.mlc@gmail.com
- Twitter: @MohanJoshiINC
- Facebook page: mohanjoshicongress
- Phone: +91 98220 96720
Criminal cases: Six
Six cases have been lodged against him under various sections of the IPC, including 2 related to wrongful restraint (IPC Section-341); 2 related to Punishment for Rioting (IPC Section-147) and 2 related to Being member of an unlawful assembly (IPC Section-143), among others.
Assets and liabilities
| Year | Assets | Liabilities |
| Lok Sabha 2019 | Rs 6,76,24, 702 | Rs 3,52,12,523 |
Source: myneta.info
View the affidavit filed by him with the Election Commission of India here.
Other candidates
| Name of Candidate | Party | Symbol |
| Anil Narayan Jadhav, 35, Builder and social activist | Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi | Cup and Saucer |
| Uttam Pandurang Shinde, 52, Farmer and businessman | Bahujan Samaj party | Elephant |
| Sayyead Raj Faiyaz, 42, BA, runs Maha E Seva Centre | Bharatiya Kisan Party | Auto Rickshaw |
| Krupal Paluskar, 33, Service | Prabhuddha Republican Party | Bat |
| Amol Jayaraj Shinde, 32, Graphic Designer | Hum Bharatiya Party | Ganna Kisan |
| Mahesh Gajendragadkar, 57, Advocate | Swarna Bharat Party | Telephone |
| Nikhil Umesh Zingade, Businessman | Bharatiya Praja surajya Paksha | Gas cylinder |
| Sim Khirid, 45, Businessman | Bahujan Maha Party | Whistle |
| Balasaheb Misal Patil, 44, Pensioner and farmer | Bahujan Mukti Party | Cot |
| Ramesh Devaram Dharmavat, 37, Farmer and advocate | People’s Union Party | Helmet |
| Jayant Eknath Chincholkar, 52, Social worker | Bahujan Republican Socialist Party | Air Conditioner |
| Suhas Popat Gajarmal, 33, Computer professional | Rashtriya Janashakti Party (Secular) | Violin |
| Hanmant Mahadev Nalawade, 49, School teacher | Ambedkarite Party of India | Coat |
| Rajesh Surendrakumar Agrawal, 48, Businessman | Hamari Apni Party | Ring |
For the complete list of candidates and to view their affidavit details, click here.