Pune: BJP issues show-cause notices to 27 party corporators for not attending PMC GB meet

The party action comes in the backdrop of speculations that many of its sitting corporators, who had defected to the BJP ahead of the 2017 civic polls, are likely to return to their previous political parties.

4 min readPuneFeb 19, 2021 10:08 PM IST

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, BJP, Gujarat local elections, Gujarat minicipal elections, Gujrat CM, Vijay Rupani, Gujarat news, Indian Express

"We will reschedule the new date for the agitation after monitoring the situation,” BJP general secretary and Chandrashekhar Bawankule said.

Facing pressure ahead of the civic polls next year, the BJP-ruled Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Friday issued show-cause notices to 27 “insincere” party corporators, including two legislators elected to the Assembly in 2017, for not attending the civic body’s general body meeting the day before.

An online meeting of the civic general body was held on Thursday to take a decision regarding a tax-hike proposal, with a plan to reject it and provide relief to local residents. The meeting began as scheduled but it was soon learnt that attending party corporators were less in number, despite there having been official communication and reminders. Subsequently, the ruling BJP had to delay its decision regarding the proposal to avoid embarrassment, as per sources. Party workers had reached out to corporators during the meeting, urging them to rush to their respective ward offices, but 27 of them remained absent, sources added.

Read | Eye on civic polls, ruling BJP in PMC declares 15 pc discount in property tax for those who paid in time

“It is necessary for party corporators to attend the general body meetings of the PMC and take decisions in the interest of local residents. A special general body meeting was called to take a decision regarding the civic administration’s proposal on tax hike, wherein it was decided to reject the proposal and provide relief to residents. Thus, the 27 party corporators that remained absent for the meeting and did not follow the party’s discipline have been served show-cause notices,” said Ganesh Bidkar, BJP member and leader of the House in the PMC.

The party learnt that several office-bearers, who are members of various committees in the civic body, were absent for the general body meeting, the maximum from Nagar Road area, the home turf of city BJP chief Jagdish Mulik.

The party action comes in the backdrop of speculations that many of its sitting corporators, who had defected to the BJP ahead of the 2017 civic polls, are likely to return to their previous political parties. According to sources, a few corporators have already begun reaching out to senior leaders of opposition parties to create grounds for their return.

In the 2017 civic polls, the BJP had come to power in the PMC for the first time after winning 97 of the 162 seats by importing leaders from rival parties.

According to sources, the city BJP has swung into action to retain power in the civic body. It recently organised a two-day workshop for party corporators at Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in Thane to prepare for the upcoming civic polls. State BJP chief Chandrakant Patil and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also reviewed civic projects to improve civic performance at the workshop.

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As per directives of the state government, permission to conduct offline general body meetings has not been granted and online meetings are recommended. However, online general body meetings with corporators joining from their homes or offices could not be properly executed due to technical issues. Thus, the ruling BJP decided to make arrangements for corporators to attend online general body meetings from their respective ward offices, but faced allegations that the ruling party was deliberately not holding offline meetings to avoid the wrath of opposition.

Sources said the ruling BJP has been under pressure to highlight its performance regarding developmental works in the city – which were stalled due to pandemic – and is struggling to hold general body meetings to clear the implementation of new projects and policies. The party repeatedly sought the state government’s permission to hold offline meetings of the general body in a bid to clear pending proposals. As no clarification was received from the state government, the ruling BJP decided to hold an online meeting on Thursday.

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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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