Know Your Candidate Programme Brings PMC Aspirants Face-to-Face With Prabhag 18 Residents
Pune: Pune Pulse, in association with the Wanawadi Residents Forum represented by Maithili Manakawad, jointly organised a Know Your Candidate Programme on January 4, 2026, providing residents of Prabhag 18 – Wanowrie and Salunke Vihar an opportunity to directly interact with candidates contesting the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Elections 2026.
The interactive programme witnessed participation from candidates representing major political parties. From the Indian National Congress, Prashant Jagtap and Sahil Kedari addressed residents. The Bharatiya Janata Party was represented by Abhijit Shivarkar, Dhanraj Ghogare and Komal Shendkar. Candidates from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) included Rohan Gaikwad, Nikita Jagtap and Dilip Jambhulkar, while Aam Aadmi Party candidate Sharmishtha Alhat also took part in the discussions.
The event was held at Atlantis Party and Event Venue, Sacred World Mall, which sponsored the venue for the programme. The session was moderated by Supreme Court lawyer Adv. Radhikesh Uttarwar, who ensured structured dialogue and equal opportunity for residents to raise civic concerns.
Residents from several housing societies and forums — including Oxford Premium, Clover Citadel, Sacred Heart Town, Sahyadri Park, Flower Valley, NIBM Road Residents Forum, Radiant Paradise, Parmar Pavilion, Salunke Vihar, Graffikon Paradise and Bramha Majestic — actively participated.
Key issues discussed included health and sanitation, safety and security, footpaths, streetlights, noise pollution, water supply, encroachments, hawker menace on Shivarkar Road and Salunke Vihar Road, parking congestion, traffic bottlenecks, and concerns related to vendors and exhibitions near Samvidhan Chowk, which residents said posed health and safety risks.
Candidates responded to questions, shared their plans, and engaged in detailed discussions on possible solutions. The programme enabled residents to assess candidates’ approaches to local civic challenges, reinforcing participatory democracy at the grassroots level ahead of the PMC elections.
The residents went back home with a promise that Janata Darbar will be held every three months to take an account of the work initiated in the ward.
