Pune’s changing political guard

After an eight-year hiatus, the municipal elections promise to usher in a new cohort of politicians and reset the city’s political rhythms Pune: The long-delayed civic polls herald a generational shift in Pune, arguably Maharashtra’s most politically vibrant city. When voters return to the booths in December, they will be resetting the circuitry of local power. The last municipal elections were held in 2017. Since then, the city’s politics have drifted into a liminal space. The Pune...

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After an eight-year hiatus, the municipal elections promise to usher in a new cohort of politicians and reset the city’s political rhythms Pune: The long-delayed civic polls herald a generational shift in Pune, arguably Maharashtra’s most politically vibrant city. When voters return to the booths in December, they will be resetting the circuitry of local power. The last municipal elections were held in 2017. Since then, the city’s politics have drifted into a liminal space. The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) term expired in May 2022, but the state dithered, leaving India’s seventh-largest city without elected urban governance for almost three years. With the prospect of polls repeatedly deferred, many former corporators had since quietly receded from the daily grind of politics, returning to business interests or simply losing relevance. When the long-pending reservation lottery for civic wards was finally conducted recently, it delivered another shock: dozens of established male aspirants discovered that their seats had vanished from under them. New guard All this has created an unusual political vacuum that younger leaders are eager to fill. Parties across the spectrum, from the BJP to the Congress to the NCP factions, are preparing to field fresher faces. Regardless of who wins, Pune seems destined to witness the rise of a new political class. The churn is already visible. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, both the BJP’s Murlidhar Mohol and the Congress’s then-candidate Ravindra Dhangekar were relative newcomers to national politics. The city’s Assembly seats have also produced new faces in recent years, including Hemant Rasne and Sunil Kamble. Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party elevated Subhash Jagtap and Sunil Tingre to leadership roles, giving them a platform to shape the party’s urban strategy. Even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a peripheral entity in Pune’s political landscape, is preparing to contest the civic polls with a wholly new leadership slate. The party most uneasy about this transition may be the Congress. Despite routinely polling between 550,000 and 600,000 votes in the city, it has struggled to convert electoral presence into organisational revival. As the Bihar election results were being announced recently, one Pune resident summed up a sentiment widely shared among Congress sympathisers: the party has votes, but not enough dynamic young leaders to carry them. The question, as he put it, is not whether the youth can help the Congress, but whether the Congress will let them. Rewind to the early 2000s, and Pune’s political landscape looked very different. The Congress then had a formidable bench which included Suresh Kalmadi, Chandrakant Shivarkar, Mohan Joshi, Ramesh Bagwe and Abhay Chhajed. The BJP had Pradeep Rawat, Anil Shirole, Girish Bapat, Vijay Kale, Vishwas Gangurde and Dilip Kamble. Sharad Pawar’s NCP, then ascendant, rested on leaders like Ajit Pawar, Ankush Kakade, Vandana Chavan and Ravi Malvadkar. But the 2014 BJP wave flattened the hierarchy. The Congress crumbled; Kalmadi and Rawat faded from view; Gangurde exited the stage. The BJP replaced its old guard with Medha Kulkarni, and then Mukta Tilak, Chandrakant Patil, Bhimrao Tapkir, Madhuri Misal and Jagdish Mulik. Now, as Pune approaches the end of 2025, even Mohol - the BJP’s rising star - risks appearing ‘senior’ in a political landscape tilting toward younger contenders. Demographics are accelerating the shift. Given that Pune’s last civic polls took place eight years ago, an entire cohort of voters since then has reached adulthood. They cast their first ballots in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections; now they will vote in municipal elections for the first time. Their concerns include urban mobility, climate resilience, digital governance, employment differ sharply from the older generation’s priorities. Their political loyalties, still fluid, are likely to crystallise around leaders who can speak to these new anxieties. The coming election promises a radical change in Pune’s political ecosystem. Long dominated by legacy figures, that ecosystem is set for nothing less than a generational reset. The departure of veteran leaders, the decennial rebalancing of parties, and the impatience of a newly enfranchised urban youth all point towards a younger, more competitive, and possibly more unpredictable political order. Whether this transition will deliver better governance remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the next generation seems determined not to wait another eight years to make itself heard.

Can the RCB Juggle the Cup Without Dropping It?

Waleed Hussain
9 hours ago
3 min read

IPL 2026 – where defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) strut into the arena like prom kings fresh off a fairy-tale win, only to realise the crown’s made of kryptonite. After shattering an 18-year curse with that nail-biting 2025 triumph – Virat Kohli’s beard practically glowing under the Ahmedabad lights – the big question isn’t “Will they?” but “Can they without imploding like a bad sequel?” Picture this: The squad that finally cracked the code now faces the auction guillotine, with a purse slimmer than Kohli’s patience on a bad day (Rs 16.4 crore for eight slots, anyone?). It’s like winning the lottery, then blowing half on therapy for the near misses. But hey, optimism is RCB’s middle name – right after “Chokers Anonymous”.

Let’s dissect this circus act. Retaining 17 players, including six overseas firecrackers, RCB’s basically yelling, “If it ain’t broke, duct-tape it harder!” Captain Rajat Patidar stays at the helm, the quiet assassin who turned collapses into confetti last year. Kohli, the Run God, anchors like a barnacle on a battleship – 741 runs in 2025, because apparently, retirement’s for quitters. Openers Phil Salt (the cheeky Englishman smacking sixes like afternoon tea) and Devdutt Padikkal provide fireworks, while Tim David and Romario Shepherd turn the death overs into a demolition derby. Bowling? Josh Hazlewood’s laser-guided yorkers make batsmen weep, Bhuvneshwar Kumar swings it sneakier than a politician’s promise, and Yash Dayal’s left-arm zip adds that “oops, you’re out” spice. Krunal Pandya’s all-round wizardry and Jitesh Sharma’s glovework round out a core deeper than a fan’s denial phase.

But releases? Oof. Booting Liam Livingstone (112 runs at 16 avg – more flop than pop) and Lungi Ngidi feels like firing the clown after one bad balloon animal. Mayank Agarwal and Manoj Bhandage hit the eject button too, leaving the middle order whispering and the spin bench warmer than a forgotten samosa. With the December 16 Abu Dhabi auction looming, RCB’s got eight slots and a wallet that says “bargain bin only”. Can they snag a mystery spinner or a finisher without breaking the bank? Or will they end up with more “projects” than pros, turning M. Chinnaswamy into a batting parlour?

To SWOT this soap opera – because nothing says “fun” like corporate buzzwords in cricket drag:

Strengths (The Superhero Cape): Bulletproof batting backbone with Kohli’s obsession and Salt’s swagger – they chased 200+ like it was a grocery run. The Hazlewood-Bhuvi-Dayal trio is a swing symphony that choked PBKS in the ’25 final. Depth in all-rounders (Krunal, Shepherd) means no panic buttons. Winning vibes? Intangible, but hey, trophies cure imposter syndrome.

Weaknesses (The Kryptonite Crutch): Purse poverty – Rs 16.4 crore for eight bodies? That’s espresso money in IPL terms, not an espresso machine. Livingstone’s exit leaves a power-hitting vacuum wider than AB de Villiers’ smile. Spin department’s Swapnil Singh and Suyash Sharma – solid, but not “unplayable on a turning track” solid. Injuries to Hazlewood (he’s human, shockingly) could turn defences into doormats.

Opportunities (The Plot Twist Potential): Auction’s a treasure hunt! Snag a budget overseas spinner like Noor Ahmad redux or a domestic dasher to plug the finisher hole. Trades already shuffled the deck – why not poach a rival’s castoff? The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a scouting goldmine for uncapped gems. Defending champs get that “underdog glow-up” – fans are louder, and pressure is sweeter.

Threats (The Villain Monologue): Bigger-purse bullies like KKR (Rs 64.3 crore war chest – they’re basically shopping for a squad, not slots) could hoover up stars like Mitchell Starc 2.0. CSK’s rebuild rage, MI’s money machine, SRH’s sluggers – everyone’s gunning for the throne. Chinnaswamy’s rocket favours batsmen; one bad dew night, and poof – fairy tale over. Plus, Kohli’s beard: iconic, but does it intimidate bowlers or just distract them?

So, can RCB defend? In a league where the Mumbai Indians have three rings and CSK’s got Dhoni’s black magic, it’s 50-50 – half genius, half gamble. If they auction smart (no impulse buys on hype trains), harness that ’25 mojo, and avoid the “sequel slump”, Bengaluru could two-peat like a boss. Otherwise? Back to memes and “next year” chants. Either way, grab popcorn: This red circus is about to clown or crown. Thala for a reason? Nah, Ee Sala Cup Namde – again?

(The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)