India, Aug. 28 -- With municipal elections round the corner, Ganesh mandals across Pune have once again emerged as crucial political platforms.

Aspiring candidates from all parties are using the 10-day festival to reach voters, funding mandals in their wards, and putting up banners near pandals and main roads.

As civic elections were delayed for the past three years, the number of aspirants has swelled. While established corporators already enjoy strong voter connect, first-time hopefuls are increasingly turning to smaller mandals for visibility and grassroots outreach.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Hemant Rasne said, "Pune's Ganesh festival is well-known across Maharashtra and India. Many leaders, including me, began our political ...