Former Bopodi MLA Rambhau Moze dies at 82

3 min readPuneJul 13, 2026 10:22 PM IST

Moze was first elected as a corporator to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on a Congress ticket in 1975 and served three consecutive terms. (Special Arrangement)

Former MLA of the erstwhile Bopodi Assembly constituency in Pune, Rambhau Moze, passed away due to age-related ailments on Monday. He was 82.

Known for his proximity to NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Moze represented the erstwhile Bopodi Assembly constituency—carved into the Shivajinagar and Vadgaon Sheri constituencies in 2009—for three consecutive terms between 1985 and 1995. He was first elected on a Congress (Socialist) ticket and subsequently won two consecutive terms on a Congress ticket. He was defeated by the late MLA Chandrakant Chhajed in the 1999 Assembly election.

Moze was first elected as a corporator to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on a Congress ticket in 1975 and served three consecutive terms. He also served as the Chairman of the PMC Standing Committee.

He did not contest the 2004 Assembly election and subsequently stayed away from active politics.

He also contributed to the field of education through the Genba Sopanrao Moze Trust, which has branches in Yerwada, Balewadi and Wagholi.

Paying tribute, NCP (SP) spokesperson Ankush Kakade said, “Rambhau Moze was known in Pune as a public representative who lived a life of extreme simplicity. Rambhau began his public service in the Yerwada and Sangamwadi areas. The work he did in the Municipal Corporation over many years as a corporator and as Chairman of the Standing Committee was certainly remarkable. Later, Sharad Pawar Saheb got him elected to the Legislative Assembly, where he effectively represented the Bopodi constituency. Having been an MLA for many years, I never saw Rambhau travelling in a four-wheeler. In the early days, he was always seen riding a scooter in Pune city and later a motorcycle.”

“He had been ill for some months, and today he has left us all. Such a public representative with a simple lifestyle is rarely seen these days. I shared a relationship with him spanning nearly 30 to 35 years. I pay my heartfelt tribute to Rambhau,” he added.

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Ashok Morwal, a long-time resident of Khadki, said, “Moze was a popular MLA. He used to travel around the Bopodi and Khadki areas on his Bajaj scooter to listen to people’s grievances. His death is a big loss to the people of the Khadki-Bopodi area.”

He is survived by his wife, Rukmini; sons Sanjay and Dnyaneshwar; a daughter; daughters-in-law; a son-in-law; and grandchildren. His last rites were performed at the Sangamwadi crematorium.