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In PMC comic book, Gandhi encourages youngsters to vote in local body polls

Titled ‘My City, My Vote’, the comic tries to explain the importance of one's vote in local body elections.

2 min readPuneJan 15, 2026 01:38 PM IST

The comic is drawn by comic artist Chaitanya Govande. In an Instagram post, he posted the comic and wrote, “Time to step up for local democracy! (Source: Instagram/@chaitanyagovande)

It begins with a young citizen questioning himself if municipal corporation elections really matter. That is when a statue of Gandhi steps in to explain how local body elections give citizens representation at the local level.

“It is the municipal corporators who decide how the city grows and ensure that the municipality performs all its tasks properly…Growth without responsible, local leadership leads to chaos. Municipal leaders shape how growth is guided,” says Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi out of one of this comic book’s pages.

This quote, where Gandhi explains the importance of voting in local elections and not just national ones, is not from a Munna Bhai movie but from a comic released by the Pune Municipal Corporation.

Titled ‘My City, My Vote’, the comic tries to explain the importance of one’s vote in local body elections. It begins with a young citizen questioning to himself if municipal corporation elections really matter. That is when a statue of Gandhi steps in to explain how local body elections give citizens representation at the local level.

The comic is drawn by comic artist Chaitanya Govande. In an Instagram post, he posted the comic and wrote, “Time to step up for local democracy!

When the young citizen says that most of his friends don’t vote, Gandhi says, “Then decisions are made without them. Silence also shapes democracy-just not in your favour.” Why are politicians visible only during elections and disappear afterwards, Gandhi says, “The corporators you elect are from your area, making them more accessible than national leaders.”

The comic goes on further to explain the structure of local bodies in Maharashtra: from Nagar Panchayats to Municipal Councils to Municipal Corporations. It explains that the 35.5 lakh voters of Pune are divided into 41 wards with 165 corporators to be elected, and how citizens have to vote for 4 candidates in most wards. Voter IDs can be checked on the PMC website using one’s name.

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In typical Gen Z fashion, the young citizen pesters Gandhi for a selfie before allowing the comic to end.

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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