Who Is Santosh Pandit? Pune-Based Civic Activist Now To Make Impact In Pimpri-Chinchwad Area
· Free Press Journal
Pune: In the bustling and developing city of Pune, local social worker and social media’s civic influencer Santosh Pandit -- who has a massive fan following across Maharashtra -- has made a name for himself by calling out corrupt officials and exposing rulebreakers throughout the city. Pandit’s face-to-face confrontation with senior civic officials, police officers and public representatives always goes viral on social media.
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Fans and followers of Santosh Pandit who are from across the state always urge him to move beyond Pune. However, until now, Pandit’s scope has been limited to Pune city only. His sarcastic takes on deteriorating infrastructure, his surprise stings on officials in their own cabins or simple awareness videos made by him -- everything goes viral.
Pandit acts as an independent watchdog, where he exposes how many times civic bodies fail to provide basic infrastructure to the people of Pune city. His other expertise involves exposing people who do not follow simple civic sense.
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Several videos of Santosh Pandit have gone viral on social media. In one clip, he is seen demanding a man sitting in a police vehicle, along with a police stick and a cap for display and intimidation. When questioned, he claimed to be the “brother of the police". When Pandit sought accountability, he reportedly fled the scene. Other videos show vehicles belonging to MLAs and MPs parked in no-parking zones and Pandit exposing them.
Pandit posted a video on his social media platforms on Tuesday where he was seen standing in front of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) building in Pimpri Chowk. He announced that now he will focus on PCMC and Pimpri-Chinchwad too and that he will work towards the betterment of the city.
Who Is Santosh Pandit?
Santosh Pandit, a resident of the Narayan Peth area, has transitioned from a local social worker to a digital “civic influencer", forcing the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to take notice of the city’s crumbling infrastructure. For Punekars, he has become a symbol of persistent, often humorous, yet aggressive civic activism.
Santosh Pandit (approx. 47 years old) has been active in the social sector for many years. He notably gained popularity by helping small business owners recover from losses during the COVID-19 lockdowns. However, his rise to fame began in early 2023 when he shifted his focus to the “ground reality” of Pune’s roads.
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Fed up with the standard complaint procedures, Pandit adopted a unique "naming and shaming" strategy. His methodology is as theatrical as the public finds it to be effective. Upon finding a dangerous pothole or a broken drainage chamber, he often decorates it with ‘Rangoli’ and garlands it as if performing a religious rite.
Some of his videos also show that he stands by the site for hours, sometimes up to six hours at a time, raising loud slogans and filming the neglect. He uploads these videos to YouTube and Instagram, where he has amassed a combined following of over 1.3 million subscribers.
People say that Pandit doesn't just make noise; he’s getting results. Reports indicate that his viral videos have prompted the PMC to repair over 80 major potholes and damaged roads on a priority basis.
While some critics view his style as “trolling” or “bad-mouthing the city", many Punekars on platforms like Reddit and YouTube hail him as “the hero Pune needs". He is frequently seen confronting high-ranking officials and police officers on camera, questioning them about budget allocations and the quality of public works.
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Santosh Pandit said in one of his videos, “I don’t just complain. My only concern is that common people should not get hurt or meet with accidents. If I shoot the videos in a unique way, the authorities are forced to speed up repairs.”
After gaining popularity across Maharashtra, many people began requesting that Pandit visit their areas and expose local issues there as well. Following these demands, Pandit announced on his social media platforms that he would now begin his work in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area, moving beyond his traditional base of Pune.
He said, “Many people in Pimpri-Chinchwad have requested that Santosh Pandit should start working there. That’s why I will soon begin work in Pimpri-Chinchwad. I have obtained a complete list of corporators in the PCMC along with their details. Soon, I will announce it and begin my work in PCMC. (Aata thokun suru karin.)”
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