Rupali Chakankar, President of the State Women's Commission, has put an end to the rumours regarding her potential political affiliation with the BJP. Clarifying her position, Chakankar firmly reaffirmed her unwavering allegiance to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and emphasized her extensive experience within the party's organization. She called upon those responsible for spreading the speculations to approach her directly for verification and clarification.
Addressing the media during her visit to the Hirakni room in the Pune Municipal Corporation, Chakankar not only cleared the air surrounding her political affiliations but also expressed her intent to contest from the Khadakwasla Assembly Constituency.
As she toured the constituency, Chakankar said she observed several pressing issues, including the scarcity of teachers in schools, the accumulation of garbage, neglected drains, and road problems. In light of these challenges, she stressed the importance of comprehensive planning and outlined her purpose for engaging with the chief officers in the region.
During her interaction with the media, Chakankar emphasized the importance of establishing a Hirkani cell in every government and semi-government department in Maharashtra. She acknowledged the previous state of disarray in the Hirakni room at the Pune Municipal Corporation, which had been inaugurated in 2016 but had fallen into neglect. However, after Chakankar announced her inspection as the chairperson of the Women's Commission, the room was cleaned.
Shifting the focus to the municipal elections, Chakankar voiced concerns over the absence of corporators in Pune for the past year and a half. She stressed the necessity of conducting elections to restore effective governance. Additionally, Chakankar raised questions about the inadequate presence of teachers in many schools and the lack of non-teaching staff, emphasizing the detrimental impact on administrative support.
In 2019, Bhimrao Tapkir of the Bharatiya Janata Party won the seat by defeating Dodke Sachin Shivaji of the Nationalist Congress Party with a margin of 2595 votes. Khadakwasala Assembly Constituency falls under the Baramati Lok Sabha Constituency.
In 2021, Chakankar assumed the position of Chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women's Commission. She holds a management degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).
Coming from a political background, Chakankar had been serving as the state chief of the NCP's women's wing for over eight months prior to her current appointment. She had expressed her desire to contest in the 2019 elections but had to cancel her plans after being appointed as a party office bearer. Chakankar's appointment as the state chief of the women's wing came about following Chitra Wagh's decision to resign from the primary membership of the NCP and join the BJP. Given her work as the president of Pune city's women's wing, Chakankar was given the opportunity to lead the state women's wing of the NCP.
