Pune, Feb. 9 -- BJP corporator Manjusha Nagpure was elected unopposed as the mayor of Pune after candidates from the NCP and Congress withdrew their nominations at the very last moment of the mayoral post contest. Following an appeal by BJP's Group Leader in PMC Ganesh Bidkar to ensure a peaceful election, Sheetal Sawant of the NCP and Ashwini Landge of the Congress pulled out of the contest.

Bidkar urged political parties to avoid a contest as a mark of respect for the late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar and former Union Minister and Pune MP Suresh Kalmadi, who passed away recently.

A total of three nominations had been filed for the mayoral post before the withdrawals.

The Bharatiya Janata Par...