Know your constituency: The big fight in Hadapsar

As part of a running series to help voters make an informed decision, mid-day examines the political dynamics and candidates in Hadapsar, where most eyes are on Congress and Shiv Sena

2014 candidates
Mahadev Babar (Shiv Sena), Yogesh Tilekar (BJP), Chetan Tupe (NCP), Chandrakant Shivarkar (Congress), Pramod Bhangire (MNS)

Constituency history
With the delimitation of constituencies in 2009, parts of the Cantonment segment were included in the Hadapsar assembly segment. Known as a Congress bastion in the past, the constituency elected Shiv Sena in 2009, after sitting MLA Mahadev Babar took advantage of the rift between Congress and NCP to win the seat.

Local dynamics
Over the years, it’s not just Hadapsar’s appearance and culture that has changed with the addition of several malls, multiplexes and IT parks, but the political dynamics here have also evolved. Babar has strong presence in areas like Kondhwa, where he has very good ties with the local Muslim population. He will face a challenge from BJP’s Yogesh Tilekar, who has also gained prominence in the five-way fight this year, with a strong base in Katraj and Kondhwa areas.
MNS’s Pramod Bhangire (alias Nana) - who was earlier a close associate of Babar while in Shiv Sena - will also eat into Babar’s votes. With the Sena votes being split between them, it will be interesting to see if the Congress can take back their bastion this year. Congress candidate and veteran politician, Chandrakant Shivarkar (alias Balasaheb) had lost the last election by just 10,309 votes, and is looking to cover that gap this time.  NCP candidate Chetan Tupe, who had earlier served as the standing committee chairman of Pune Municipal Corporation, also has a strong base here.

4,10,892 Total number of voters in the constituency

 65,517 Number of Voters

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