India, Jan. 6 -- With just days to go before the Pune Municipal Corporation elections on January 15, 2026, Wadgaonsheri-Yerawada has emerged as one of the city's most closely watched civic battlegrounds. The outcome here is expected to serve as a litmus test for rival political heavyweights ahead of the 2029 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Political analysts describe the contest in this fast-growing eastern Pune belt as a "semi-final," given its strategic importance and the high-profile nature of the contenders. Characterised by expanding IT parks, dense residential clusters, shopping hubs, and an alert electorate, the area has become central to the campaign strategies of all major parties.

The Yerawada-Kalas and Nagar Road-Wadgaonshe...