Jobs, Accountability Top Voters' Agenda In Pune Graduates' & Teachers' Poll

Pune: As Pune Division voted in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections for the Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies on Friday, voters raised concerns over the lack of employment opportunities, the slow pace of development and political parties’ failure to fulfil election promises.

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More than 4.49 lakh voters were eligible to cast their ballots across Pune, Satara, Solapur, Sangli and Kolhapur districts. The election administration had set up 1,051 polling stations, with voting scheduled from 8am to 4pm. A total of 47 candidates were contesting from the Graduates’ Constituency, while 30 candidates were in the fray for the Teachers’ Constituency.

For some voters, the election had done little to inspire confidence in the political system. Their concerns extended beyond electoral promises to accountability and employment prospects for educated citizens.

Ketan Hule, a graduate voter, said, “I don’t think much change is going to occur. Things are just going to continue the way they have. I started voting when I was 18, and over the past 20 to 22 years, nothing significant has changed. Minor improvements do happen, but things move very slowly.”

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Hule said political parties often failed to implement the promises they made while in opposition after coming to power.

“Whether it is Party A or Party B, when they are in opposition, they make promises, but once elected, they do not follow up on what they said. I am not blaming any particular party. There are concerns ranging from infrastructure to electoral bonds and questions surrounding electoral rolls. Voters need to collectively send a message that this is unacceptable,” he said.

Employment opportunities for educated women emerged as another major concern.

Savita Suryakant Tekawade, who holds MA and BEd degrees, said she had remained at home despite her qualifications because private-sector jobs offered inadequate salaries compared with the cost and effort involved in education.

“Even after completing so much education, I am sitting at home. What was the point of spending so much money and so many years studying if I cannot find a job that pays according to my qualifications?” she asked.

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She said the government should create more employment opportunities, particularly for women.

“We want government jobs and better employment opportunities for women. What have the elected representatives done for educated women like us? What employment opportunities have they created? Our parents spent so much money on our education, but what has it achieved for us if we cannot find suitable work?” she said.

Pradeep Kadam, a graduate voter, said, “Degrees should open doors to opportunities, but many young people are struggling to find jobs that match their qualifications. Candidates must explain how they plan to create employment rather than simply promise development.”

Kadam added, “Schools need adequate staff, better infrastructure and timely recruitment. The elected representative must understand the problems faced by teachers and work towards practical solutions.”

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Kunal Kanase, a teacher voter, said, “People want transparency, accountability and better civic infrastructure. Representatives must remain accessible to voters and provide updates on the promises they make during elections.”

'BJP will win both seats'

Political leaders expressed confidence in their candidates and traded barbs during voting for the Pune Division Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies of the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Friday.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil predicted that BJP candidates Smita Jadhav and Kaustubh Gawade would win both seats by a huge margin.

“The picture is clear. Both BJP candidates will win by a huge margin,” Patil said.

Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol also expressed confidence in the Mahayuti, predicting that the alliance would win all five seats it was contesting in the elections. He praised the governments led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying graduates were educated voters who made informed decisions.

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On speculations of Eknath Shinde becoming Chief Minister again, Mohol said numerical strength played a decisive role in such discussions.

Patil also responded to criticism over his political remarks, including his reference to being the son of a mill worker. He called for an inquiry into an alleged audio clip involving Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange.

Meanwhile, Sachin Sanap, an independent candidate for Pune Teachers' constituency, alleged electoral misconduct involving BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawade and former Bhor MLA Sangram Thopte. Sanap claimed that Gawade had reached a polling centre wearing a BJP scarf and alleged that Thopte had been found distributing money near a polling centre in Bhor.

Sanap criticised the election machinery and called for action over the alleged violations.

'BJP using spycam pens'

NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule alleged on Friday that complaints have emerged about the BJP using pens fitted with spy cameras to record voters casting their ballots in the MLC polls in the Pune Teachers’ and Graduates’ constituencies.

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Responding to a question about the device, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he had no idea what it was.

In a post on X, Sule claimed that voters were allegedly being asked to attach such pens to their pockets to record videos while voting for BJP candidates. They were promised money in return for showing the recorded videos after casting their votes, she alleged.

Describing the complaints as serious and concerning, Sule said the alleged practice threatened the secrecy of voting and the freedom of voters.

She urged the Election Commission and the government to take immediate cognisance of the complaints, conduct a thorough investigation and initiate strict action against those found responsible.

Meanwhile, she demanded answers from authorities after a video purportedly showed BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawade sporting a party scarf while casting his vote in Pune in the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls.

In a social media post, Sule shared the video showing Gawade, the BJP candidate from the Pune Teachers’ constituency, questioning whether the incident amounted to a violation of the model code of conduct.

She asked how the candidate was allowed to enter the polling station wearing a party symbol and whether such a concession was being extended only to candidates from the ruling party.

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