With his sudden resignation, Deepak Mankar, Pune city president of Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP, has shaken Pune’s political scene. With many rivals vying for the position, his decision has raised immense speculation on who would take over the city leadership. Mankar’s resignation is yet to be officially sanctioned, so the power struggle becomes a different ball game as the battle for Pune’s city leadership becomes more intense.
Anshu Kashid
Pune | May 16, 2025: Mankar has been tasked with presenting bogus documents intended to mislead the authorities. After announcing his resignation in response to the legal proceedings, he alleged that some elements were attempting to harm his political position by actions. Speculations, however, indicate certain party leaders counseled Ajit Pawar against accepting his resignation. As possible heirs to Mankar’s retirement, Tupe, Jagtap, Dhankawade figure among the range of candidates being heavily speculated over.
Among the top contenders is Chetan Tupe, two-time MLA opposition leader of the municipal corporation in previous years. Others of them are former Pune mayor Datta Dhankawade, former house leader Subhash Jagtap, Sunil Tingre, former MLA from Vadgaon Sheri and personal friend of Ajit Pawar. However, Sunil Tingre, ex-MLA followed by Chetan Tupe seems to be in array as top contender for the post during this election season.
With numerous names in the fray, everyone is now looking forward to Ajit Pawar’s decision on municipal leadership.
Deepak Mankar’s untimely resignation ahead of the local polls has created chaos within Ajit Pawar’s NCP unit in the city. Election dates can be announced at any time because the Supreme Court mandates that municipal polls must be held within four months. This has made changes in the city unit’s party leadership immediate and unavoidable.
Wednesday’s meeting of senior NCP functionaries in Mumbai was intended to assist in discussing the issue. Among the potential successors on the card were names such as Chetan Tupe, ex-MLA Sunil Tingre, and others. The party is also contemplating promoting working President Pradeep Deshmukh to the position of municipal chief.
Recently detained after a complaint of rape by a foreign national was NCP former office-bearer Shantanu Kukde. Police discovered money transactions amounting to crores between Mankar and Kukde during the investigation, prompting officials to summon Mankar under interrogation. Mankar submitted papers to justify the transactions were found to be fake, which made Samarth police station book a fraud case against him.
After these incidents, Mankar asserted that “Certain factors are tarnishing my political character because of my increasing profile and turns in my resignation to Ajit Pawar from the office of city chief”.
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