Photo : Amit Gorkhe 

Pune: The Pune district will soon have 25 members of the State Legislature and seven Members of Parliament (MPs). The BJP has named Amit Gorkhe and Yogesh Tilekar from the district as its candidates for the State Legislative Council polls to be held on July 12. Given the party’s strength in the Legislative Assembly, their election is merely a formality. 

Therefore, there will be 25 legislators from Pune district. 

Yogesh Tilekar is the former MLA from Hadapsar and Amit Gorkhe is a party functionary from Pimpri-Chinchwad. Tilekar is the President of the BJP’s State OBC Cell while Gorkhe is an office-bearer of the BJP State Dalit Aghadi. Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe and Uma Khapre from Pimpri-Chinchwad are already the Members of the State Legislative Council (MLCs).

A Union Minister of State, a Deputy Chief Minister and the Deputy Chairperson of the State Legislative Council are from the district.

The district has 21 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). The number of MLCs is set to go up to four, taking the tally of the members of the State legislature to 25 from the district. 

Additionally, Pune district has four Lok Sabha constituencies: Pune City, Shirur, Baramati and Maval. Dr Medha Kulkarni and Sunetra Pawar recently became Rajya Sabha members (MPs). Sharad Pawar is the senior MP from Rajya Sabha. Thus, the district has seven MPs for the first time.

First-time MP Murlidhar Mohol has been made the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation, which are among the most important ministries. Many issues in the district relate to these portfolios. Dr Neelam Gorhe is Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council, an important constitutional position. Gorhe enjoys the power to instruct ministers or ministries.

Political pundits observed that it is for the first time that Pune district has so many constitutional posts. The legislators and MPs, swearing allegiance to various political parties, can become a political force to ensure the district’s strides in development. They have enough collective power to make the government machinery work faster for the sake of Pune district. As a party representative, they may work for their constituencies, these leaders have a greater collective power.