Pune: PMC Ward 18 Wanowrie–Salunkhe Vihar Emerges As High-Stakes Battleground Ahead Of Civic Polls
Pune: PMC Ward 18 Wanowrie–Salunkhe Vihar Emerges As High-Stakes Battleground Ahead Of Civic Polls
Pune, December 22, 2025: Ward No. 18 of the Pune Municipal Corporation, covering the Wanowrie–Salunkhe Vihar belt, has emerged as one of the city’s most closely watched and politically significant constituencies ahead of the civic elections. With a total voter strength of 71,669 and a vast geographical spread, the ward presents a major challenge for candidates seeking to reach voters across all sections.
The ward includes a large and diverse mix of localities such as Sopan Baug, Uday Baug, Jambhulkar Mala, Swami Vivekanand Nagar, St Patrick’s Town, parts of the Hadapsar Industrial Area, Parmar Nagar, Fatima Nagar (part), Wanowrie village, SRPF Colony Nos. 1 and 2, Nanavti Nagar, Clover Village, Netaji Nagar, Azad Nagar, Salunkhe Vihar Society, Graphicon Paradise, Kubera Garden, Siddharth Nagar, Ganga Satellite, the Ramtekdi regional office area, Shivarkar Garden and the Mahatma Phule Cultural Hall precinct. Geographically, the ward stretches from NIBM to Dobarwadi and from Netaji Nagar to the SRPF area, spanning nearly 10 to 15 kilometres.
The constituency is characterised by a mix of upscale housing societies and densely populated residential pockets. It has a large number of educated and middle-class voters, while Wanowrie village accounts for the highest concentration of voters in the ward. Given the size and varied demographics, intensive campaigning and strong ground-level outreach are expected to play a decisive role.
In the previous municipal elections, the ward had reservations for one OBC male seat, one open male seat and two women’s seats. The OBC category is once again expected to be crucial, with traditional community equations, especially involving the Mali and Maratha communities, continuing to influence electoral outcomes.
In the last civic polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Nationalist Congress Party won two seats each from Ward No. 18. This time, a triangular contest is anticipated, with tough competition among major political parties. With a large number of aspirants in the fray, ticket distribution is likely to be a challenging task for party leaderships. The final political picture will become clear only after nomination papers are filed.
Civic Issues in Focus:
Residents have raised persistent concerns over severe traffic congestion, drinking water shortages in certain areas, garbage management issues in residential localities, problems related to sewerage lines and widespread encroachments on roads and footpaths, contributing to urban deterioration.
Voter Profile:
The ward has 36,711 male voters and 34,953 female voters, taking the total electorate to 71,669, making it one of the larger and more influential constituencies within the PMC limits.
