At least 16 people, including newly elected Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) councillors, were injured when “adulterated” turmeric (bhandara) caught fire during a local body poll victory celebration near a temple in Pune, Maharashtra, on Sunday.The incident occurred during a victory procession in Jejuri, where newly elected councillors and party workers gathered to offer bhandara at the feet of Lord Khanderaya following the announcement of Maharashtra local body poll results.
According to Pune (Rural) Superintendent of Police Sandip Gill, the fire broke out after some of the bhandara fell onto a lit diya (lamp).Among those injured were NCP winners Swarupa Khomne and Monika Ghadge, who suffered burn injuries.Pune MP Supriya Sule described the incident as “extremely tragic and unfortunate” and stated that the bhandara was adulterated. She added that she is in close contact with the administration and is gathering detailed information about the incident.
In the recent local body elections, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA)—comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP—secured a clean sweep in Pune, winning all 17 president posts across municipal councils and nagar panchayats.Official results show the NCP as the largest NDA constituent with 10 president posts, followed by Shinde’s Shiv Sena with four and the BJP with three.
Ajit Pawar tweeted, “The results… clearly reflect the people of Maharashtra’s strong support for the ideology of Shiv-Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar upheld by the Nationalist Congress Party, and their endorsement of the development-oriented governance of the Mahayuti. This mandate is a resounding victory for democracy.”Across Maharashtra, the Mahayuti alliance won 207 out of 288 municipal council and nagar panchayat president posts, leaving the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) with just 44.Breaking down the numbers further:
Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP secured 117 municipal president posts, Shiv Sena won 53, and the NCP claimed 37. The Congress won 28 posts, the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP took 7, and the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray-led Shiv Sena secured 9.Other registered parties won 4 seats, unrecognized registered parties claimed 28, and Independents won 5 seats.
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