The BJP has registered a thumping victory in Pune, winning all eight constituencies in the city and marking a striking change in the local political dynamics.

Not only has the party won by massive margins in its own strongholds, but it has also converted vote banks in constituencies considered as bastions of the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena.

Girish Bapat shows the victory sign, after he won his fifth term with his highest ever margin yesterday.

Large victory margins
In its homeground in Kasba Peth and Parvati, BJP was leading as soon as counting began on Sunday morning. With 95,583 votes, Parvati MLA Madhuri Misal won yet another term with the highest ever margin in the city – 69,090 votes. She easily defeated the other frontrunners - Shiv Sena’s Sachin Tawre (26,493), NCP city leader, Subhash Jagtap (26,124) and Congress city president, Abhay Chajed (21,907). While Misal was confident she would win, she admits the massive margin has surprised her as well.