Hands Tied, Face Covered: Gangster Andekar's PMC Nomination Bid Fails Over Missing Papers

New Delhi: A high-profile attempt by jailed gangster Bandu alias Suryakant Andekar to enter the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections hit a snag on Saturday. Andekar, along with his daughter-in-law and sister-in-law, was brought under heavy police guard to the nomination office in Bhavani Peth. But none of them could complete the formal process because they did not have the required documents. 

Who is involved and what happened?

Andekar, 70, is in judicial custody over the alleged murder of his grandson, Ayush Komkar. The special MCOCA court had cleared the way for him and two relatives, daughter-in-law Sonali Vanraj Andekar and sister-in-law Laxmi Udaykant Andekar, to file papers for the civic polls as independent candidates. They were brought from prison under police escort and guarded closely. 

However, when they reached the PMC ward office around midday, election officials found their nomination forms were not fully filled and lacked key documents. Returning Officer Kalyan Pandhare said the papers could not be accepted in this state and no nominations were recorded. 

"We did not receive any nomination forms from them (Bandu Andekar and his two family members) on Saturday. So, the question of accepting the nominations does not arise. They did not have all the documents required for nomination," she said.

The candidates now have until the official deadline on December 30 to resubmit properly completed forms. 

What did Andekar do at the office?

Despite his hands being tied and face covered as part of security measures, Andekar tried to make his presence felt. He raised his hand in a victory sign and shouted, "Neki ka kaam, Andekar ka naam (Do good, Andekar will earn fame)."

What's next for the nominations?

With a three-day window still open, the Andekar family can return to file their papers with all necessary documents. Election authorities reiterated that procedural rules must be followed by every aspirant, regardless of their profile.

The PMC elections are scheduled for January 15, 2026, and nomination filing will continue through the end of the month.