Parties compete to hold events, inaugurate projects as PMC term draws to a close

The current term of the PMC will end on March 14 after which it will have an administrator to look after all civic affairs till the formation of new general body after civic elections

Pune Municipal Corporation. (Express photo)

Last weekend before the end of five-year term of the civic general body, elected representatives of all political parties in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) are going all out to hold inauguration and foundation stone-laying functions for civic works in their respective electoral areas ahead of the forthcoming civic polls.

Over 50 functions have been lined up for Saturday and Sunday.

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The current term of the PMC will end on March 14 after which it will have an administrator to look after all civic affairs till the formation of new general body after civic elections. The polls were delayed due to the pandemic and also the state government’s decision to hold the elections only after ensuring that political reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) is restored.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pune Metro Rail and laid the foundation stone of various mega civic infrastructure projects. This time, PMC’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has roped in former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil to inaugurate or lay foundation stone of civic projects across the city. Fadnavis will inaugurate the flyover on Karve road, which was constructed by Maha-Metro for the PMC. It is a double decker flyover with top half reserved for vehicles and lower half for Metro. The 550-metre long flyover is expected to ease the traffic chaos at Nal Stop. The BJP has also planned functions at
Shivajinagar, Nagar road and Solapur road.

The BJP is also planning to hold a function to inaugurate civic body’s Bharatratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College in the coming week. The party’s local unit will invite Union ministers at the event.

On the other hand, the main opposition, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), will be getting deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar for inauguration and foundation stone-laying functions of various civic works in the electoral ward represented by party corporators. It is planning events on Nagar road, Solapur road, Satara road and Warje. Earlier this week, NCP chief Sharad Pawar inaugurated a civic hospital in Warje.

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Corporators of the Congress and the Shiv Sena, too, are trying to rope in their respective leaders for functions in their electoral wards. “These functions would be last as corporators for us and would also send out a good message about us ahead of civic polls,” said a Congress corporator.

A civic officer said, “Most importantly, the functions are being held through civic funds. Such functions cannot be organised by the corporator once the term ends on March 14. They will have to hold political functions with their money from March 15.”

The ruling BJP is trying hard to retain its hold over PMC, which it managed to win single-handedly for the first time in 2017. The NCP, for its part, wants to regain the power it lost over the civic body five years back. The opposition parties are undecided over continuing their state-level alliance for civic body elections even as local NCP and Congress leaders are pushing for contesting the elections separately.

The NCP, the Congress and the Shiv Sena together constitute the state’s ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.

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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