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PMC polls: Ahead of Pune civic body’s draw of lots to decide reservation, politicians may switch sides

A draw of lots will decide the reservation for women, SC, ST and OBC seats for the Pune Municipal Corporation.

3 min readPuneNov 10, 2025 02:23 PM IST

As many as 165 corporators will be elected to the PMC for a five-year term. (File)

Another hectic lobbying is expected ahead of the civic polls as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will carry out the draw of lots Tuesday to decide the reservation of seats for its forthcoming elections, which would pave the way for the aspirants to plan their strategy.

The PMC elections will be held in the next few months, and political parties, as well as the aspirants, have started preparing for the civic polls. As many as 165 corporators will be elected to the PMC for a five-year term. The election will be held on the basis of a panel with four members in each of the 40 panels and five members from one panel.

“There are many former corporators and aspirants willing to join the BJP ahead of civic polls. However, we have kept them on hold as the party cannot commit to them before the actual reservation of seats is declared,” said a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader.

A senior Congress leader and five-time corporator said he and his son want to join the BJP only if there is assurance of either or both of them getting the party’s candidature for the Pune civic polls. “We are waiting for the reservation of seats to be declared to decide our strategy to keep alive the political hold in the city area,” he said.

The leader had quit Congress ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections after being denied a ticket, and contested as an Independent candidate.

According to the election rules, half of the seats in the civic body should be reserved for women candidates, in addition to the reservations mandated by the Constitution, which include seats for members of the Scheduled Castes (SC), the Scheduled Tribes (ST), and the Other Backward Classes (OBC).

“For the general election of PMC to be held soon, the programme for the draw of lots for reservation of seats in the categories of SC, ST, and OBC will be held on Tuesday at Ganeshkala Krida Rangmanch. The draft of the reservation will be published on November 17, with public objections and suggestions invited till November 24,” said Naval Kishore Ram, Municipal Commissioner, PMC.

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The suggestions and objections can be submitted by citizens to the municipal head office, the election office of the concerned ward office, he said, adding that the suggestions and objections filed via website, email or online will not be considered, and the final notification on reservation would be published after considering the suggestions and objections.

In the draw, 83 of the 165 seats will be decided for women candidates, as per the rule of 50 per cent reservation for women in civic body elections, which will be maintained for each of the electoral panels.

As per the provisions of the Constitution, 22 seats will be reserved for the SC category, 44 seats for the OBC and two seats for the ST category, in which the 50 per cent norm of seats for women will be followed.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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