Overview
- Sonali Vanraj Andekar and Lakshmi Udaykant Andekar won both Ward 23 seats for the NCP, with Lakshmi edging BJP’s Rutuja Gadale by 141 votes and Sonali defeating Shiv Sena’s Pratibha Dhangekar after early deficits.
- Both winners remain in judicial custody in the Ayush Komkar murder case, as a special MCOCA court allowed their nominations but denied bail.
- Ajit Pawar publicly defended their candidature and campaigned with the family, drawing criticism over the party’s choice to field candidates facing serious charges.
- Pune police link the contest to a larger crackdown after Komkar’s killing that included dozens of arrests, MCOCA cases, frozen bank accounts, and the seizure or demolition of properties tied to the Andekar network.
- The results highlight the family’s enduring local clout, with Ayush’s mother Kalyani Komkar losing her protest bid against Lakshmi, even as other candidates with criminal links elsewhere saw mixed outcomes.