Pune: PMC Gears Up For Civic Polls; Voting Centres Likely To Increase
Political Tug-of-War Over Pune’s Ward Restructure; Draft Faces Delay Amid Power Struggle
Pune | June 7, 2025 — Although the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has not yet received any official instructions from the state government or the State Election Commission regarding civic body elections, the administration has begun early preparations for the upcoming polls.
In anticipation of increased requirements compared to Assembly elections, PMC expects a 1.5 times rise in the number of polling stations, voting machines, and election staff for the civic elections. To plan for these needs, the first preparatory meeting was held today.
The Supreme Court has recently directed the state government to conduct elections for local self-government bodies across Maharashtra within the next four months. However, it may not be possible to hold all municipal corporation, zilla parishad, nagar parishad, and panchayat samiti elections at the same time due to the need for fresh ward restructuring in many areas. As a result, the Pune Municipal Corporation elections are expected to take place after Diwali.
Instructions regarding ward restructuring are likely to be issued to PMC in the coming days. Once received, the administrative groundwork for the election will begin. Since a robust setup will be needed, PMC Additional Commissioner Omprakash Divte chaired the first planning meeting on June 6.
Deputy Commissioner of the Election Branch Prasad Katkar and zonal deputy commissioners also attended the meeting. Speaking to the media, Divte said, “We have not yet received official election orders from the government or commission, but we held a meeting today for preliminary planning. Compared to Assembly elections, there will be more candidates and polling centres, requiring a larger setup.”
He added that new polling centres will also need to be established in the 23 villages recently merged into PMC limits. Divte instructed officials to begin identifying suitable locations and surveying sites for election officers’ offices, ensuring necessary infrastructure is in place.
He also emphasized improving voter turnout and ensuring that no important names are left out of the electoral rolls during the voter list update.
The civic body has started moving into election mode with a focus on infrastructure, planning, and efficient execution to ensure a smooth polling process when dates are announced.
