Women `empowered` this election

This year, the pmc elections saw a new change as women candidates were given 50 pc reservation.

Pune Municipal Corporation elections yet again witnessed a clean sweep by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Out of 152, NCP won 51 seats, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena won 29 seats and Congress won 28 seats. Lata Bai Rajguru of Congress and Pradeep Gaikwad of Nationalist Congress Party were elected from Ward number 22.
This time there were many new things that was introduced including the 50 per cent reservation of seats for women candidates contesting the elections. Even the lists of the candidates were in two separate in Categories--A and B, one for male and one for female
candidate. Therefore, there were two different buttons used this year for A and B categories.

Pradeep Gaikwad
Pradeep Gaikwad of Nationalist Congress Party, who is elected from Ward number 22 B, is an auto rickshaw driver by profession and hails from Tadiwala road, has been the driving the rickshaw for the last 15 years. "I have grown up in this area among my people, therefore I know the major issues that have to be taken care of and that is my priority," said Pradeep Gaikwad. "Development in this area was minimal. I have a dual task on my hand; working for my own community and also for the betterment of the auto rickshaw drivers and I will insure that we have CNG outlets in our area soon," adds Gaikwad.

Lata Bai Rajguru
Lata Bai Rajguru has been workinjg for the society for over a decade. This was the third time that she was contesting in the PMC elections. She is widely known in the area for her social work, which is majorly focussed on women empowerment. "My aim is to work for women by providing them self-employment so that they can live an independent and respectable life," said Rajguru.

Candidates who lost the election
"I think I lack behind somewhere. I won't stop my social work and work for the development of society," said Rajni Tribuvan of Nationalist Congress Party. "I never thought I will lose the elections. However, one has to accept the decision of the masses. I have taken a lesson from it and would work towards the major issues of the area for the betterment of the society," said Hajisab Nadaf of Congress.

First time voter at 62
Sixtytwo-year-old Kashinath Talekar, Retd. Deputy Superindent of Police walked in the polling booth to cast his vote for the first time in his lifetime in the Civic Poll Election 2012. He made his first voting experience even more special by being the first person in the ward to cast his vote.
The veteran, who was deprived of his right to vote owing to the service to the government, told Dainik Jagran Cityplus that he did not want to leave any stone unturned to make his first voting experience a memorable one.
"I could never get the opportunity to vote because of my service as I was posted in centres away from my constituency. However, post my retirement, I got the first opportunity to vote and wanted to be the first voter in my ward," said Talekar. Talekar was accompanied by his entire family of three generations, which included his son
Kishore Talekar (26), wife Sharda Talekar (51) and mother Devai Talekar (89) at the polling booth.
"Government should do something for the civil servants as many like me are deprived of voting rights due to this problem. The postal voting system is flawed, hence I had to wait for my retirement to cast my first vote," he added.

--Anuj Ismail