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By:

Rajendra Pandharpure

15 April 2025 at 7:55:54 pm

The BJP’s Ganesha Gambit

Pune’s Ganeshotsav has become an enormous civic and political stage, and the ruling party has proved adept at occupying it. Pune: The city’s Ganeshotsav is entering its final phase, but the festival has already demonstrated something beyond its extraordinary crowds and familiar spectacle: the extent to which it has become a political stage. This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has left a particularly visible imprint on the festivities, using an event that reaches deep into the city’s...

The BJP’s Ganesha Gambit

Pune’s Ganeshotsav has become an enormous civic and political stage, and the ruling party has proved adept at occupying it. Pune: The city’s Ganeshotsav is entering its final phase, but the festival has already demonstrated something beyond its extraordinary crowds and familiar spectacle: the extent to which it has become a political stage. This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has left a particularly visible imprint on the festivities, using an event that reaches deep into the city’s neighbourhoods as an opportunity for public outreach. The political appropriation of the festival has not, however, been without a counter-current. Demands were raised for curbs on noise pollution, loudspeakers and the volume of dhol-tasha performances. The argument was not against Ganeshotsav itself, but for moderation - notably, a complete ban on DJ music and limits on the number of dhol and tasha instruments used by performing troupes. Familiar Troubles The festival’s reality has been rather different. Major roads have been occupied by mandaps. Processions celebrating the arrival of Lord Ganesha have unfolded amid punishing noise. DJ music, while subject to restrictions, has continued. Traffic congestion has become a familiar feature of the festival, with the movement of political leaders adding another layer to the city’s already strained roads. The Peth areas have remained crowded deep into the night. The Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple has drawn enormous crowds for darshan from the opening day. From the old city to housing societies and neighbourhood mandals, Ganeshotsav touches virtually every part of Pune. For a political party seeking a direct connection with citizens, few occasions offer such a ready-made network of people, institutions and local influencers. The BJP enters this festival with an unusually formidable organisational base. It has two MPs, seven MLAs and more than 100 corporators in Pune. Murlidhar Mohol, one of the city’s MPs, is a Union Minister of State. Chandrakant Patil is a Cabinet minister in the Maharashtra government, while Madhuri Misal is a Minister of State. The party’s presence also extends into the festival’s organisational architecture. Its influence is visible across numerous mandals, large and small. BJP MLA Hemant Rasane is General Secretary of the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust. Kunal Tilak, a member of Lokmanya Tilak’s family, is a BJP corporator. The political and cultural histories of Pune therefore intersect in ways that are difficult to ignore. The BJP’s senior leadership has also made the most of the occasion. National President Nitin Nabin visited Pune to seek Lord Ganesha’s blessings, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the city before and during the festival. Such visits are about more than religious observance. In a festival watched by millions and embedded in the city’s social life, political visibility comes almost automatically. There is also talk in Pune that the BJP provided substantial financial support to Dhol-Lezim troupes and their organisers, with claims that some major mandals received financial backing as well. These claims would require independent verification, but the perception itself points to the depth of the political contest around Ganeshotsav. BJP workers, according to local observers, have also sought to make their presence more conspicuous than that of festivities organised by housing societies. Useful Expedient The festival arrives at a politically useful moment for the BJP. The party has faced disquiet on several fronts. Young people have been agitated over the paper-leak controversy. Broader public dissatisfaction has been voiced over inflation and unemployment, while government policies relating to ethanol and charges associated with UPI transactions have also generated criticism. While a political party can defend a policy in a press conference and advertise its achievements, during Ganeshotsav, its workers can be physically present in neighbourhoods, among processions, mandals, cultural groups and devotees. Politics thus becomes less about argument and more about visibility. That is the BJP’s advantage in Pune. Ganeshotsav, after all, is not simply a sequence of religious rituals. It is an elaborate civic network involving local organisers, volunteers, cultural groups, businesses, residents and political representatives. Whoever has influence over that network acquires a powerful channel of communication with the city. The BJP appears to understand this particularly well. Its strength in Pune’s electoral politics has been reinforced by a presence that extends beyond elections and into the institutions and social spaces that organise public life. The irony is that the very scale of the festival that makes it politically attractive also magnifies the civic costs. The political value of Ganeshotsav and the civic burden it creates are therefore two sides of the same phenomenon. For Pune, the larger question is not whether politics has entered Ganeshotsav. It has done so for decades. The more consequential question is whether the festival’s extraordinary social capital will remain primarily a vehicle for political outreach or whether the same influence can be used to reconcile celebration with the ordinary civic needs of the city. For the moment, the BJP seems to have understood the first proposition better than most.

The Ego Trap

Writer: Divyaa Advaani 
Divyaa Advaani 
Oct 10, 2025
3 min read

Have you ever met someone who seems to find offense in everything? You share an opinion, express a thought, or make a harmless observation — and suddenly, you’re walking on eggshells. On the other side are those who appear perfectly pleasant to your face, only to turn the conversation sour the moment you leave. These everyday dynamics, though subtle, shape reputations faster than we realize — and in the world of business, reputations are currency.


The ability to handle differences of opinion with grace and maturity is no longer just a sign of good upbringing — it’s a cornerstone of personal branding. In boardrooms and client meetings alike, people remember not only what we say, but how we make them feel. And while emotional sensitivity is a strength, taking everything personally can quietly chip away at one’s professional image.


When emotions overpower intent, even constructive feedback begins to sound like criticism. When ego outweighs empathy, relationships that could have been collaborations turn into silent competitions. In such moments, one’s personal brand — built carefully over years — can crack under the weight of misunderstanding.


True personal branding isn’t about being liked by everyone. It’s about earning quiet respect — through consistency, self-awareness, and authenticity. It’s about knowing that disagreement doesn’t equal disrespect. It’s the grace to stand firm in your values while still creating space for another’s perspective. Because in the long run, those who can manage their emotions manage their image.


I’ve seen this repeatedly while working with business owners and leaders across industries. The ones who thrive are not always the loudest or the most confident in the room. They’re often the ones who can turn discomfort into dialogue, who can listen without feeling threatened, and who can let their work — not their reactions — speak for them. They know that personal branding isn’t built on public perfection but on private refinement.


Think of it like this — a powerful brand is not one that avoids conflict, but one that rises above it with elegance. When people talk about you, the words they use — composed, professional, trustworthy, grounded — come from how you handle the unseen moments. The casual conversations, the unexpected criticism, the tough calls. That’s where your brand breathes.


In today’s hyper-connected world, where every meeting, message, or post becomes part of your digital footprint, self-mastery is your biggest asset. Because in business, you aren’t just selling a product or service — you’re selling trust. And trust is built in the micro-moments: how you react when things don’t go your way, how you carry yourself when no one’s watching, how you recover after a misunderstanding.


For founders, business owners, and C-suites, this is where the next phase of growth begins — not in strategy, but in self-awareness. A powerful personal brand attracts opportunities even when you’re not looking for them. It opens doors not through force, but through presence. And it transforms not just how the world sees you, but how you see yourself.


If you’re ready to build that version of yourself — one that commands respect without demanding it — I invite you to be part of my Signature Personal Branding Program commencing on 24th October 2025. Designed exclusively for business owners, founders, and senior leaders,


it’s a limited-seat experience that goes beyond image to impact — helping you master the art of being seen, heard, and remembered for all the right reasons.


Because the strongest personal brands aren’t built in perfection — they’re built in grace. Are you also someone looking to build a graceful personal brand one that creates a legacy for you? I’m just a click away. Book a free consultation call with me on the link provided below and get yourself enrolled for my upcoming batch where you shall meet like-minded leaders and share experiences while making connections.


(The author is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)

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