Pune PMC Elections 2026 Highlights: Voter turnout in PMC polls remains low; PCMC records 40.5% voting

The voter turnout for Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation polls was recorded to be 28.15 per cent, as of 1:30 pm.

Maharashtra State minister Madhuri Misal from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shows her inked finger after casting vote at Bibewadi for PMC elections on Thursday.

The State Election Commission site https://mahasecvoterlist.in/ to check names in the voter rolls, which had crashed as early as 8:30 am on Thursday, is still not functional at 1:30 pm.

Eminent playwright Satish Alekar voted at Kamyani School sabhagruha near Patrakarnagar in Pune on Thursday.

"Things are very difficult now, seeing the scenario about people's ideologies. Apart from having a uninterrupted supply water and uninterrupted supply of power and clean roads, there is hardly any kind of issue people were discussing so it's very sad for me," he told The Indian Express.

From an artist's point of view, he felt that that the PMC should re-erect the statue of Ram Ganesh Gadkari which was destroyed in 2017.

Senior citizens had a tough time at Kroot Memorial School in Pune's Wanawadi area as faulty wheelchairs made senior citizens leave the support equipment and walk towards the polling booth to cast their votes in the PMC polls on Thursday.

(Express photographs by Arul Horizon)

Former Mayor of Pune Prashant Jagtap who quit the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP) to join Congress said it is a matter of concern that the voter turnout is so low.

Here's what he says:

Veteran director and actor Atul Pethe cast his vote Thursday morning, when it was less crowded.

“Every time, I cast my vote very carefully, and with all responsibility because I think and feel strongly that democracy should prevail I am totally against any hukumshahi or tanashahi. When I say, 'I love India', it means that I love democratic India. I believe in unity in diversity. I feel it is my responsibility as a citizen of India to vote and we do every time,” said Pethe.

He also said that the sociopolitical situation has become “really chaotic”.

“This is very unfortunate. Where are the ideological positions? There should be different ideological positions and they should fight against each other on important issues, of society, such as our educational system, our sanitation and transportation. The condition of the air is going down day and day,” he said.

He expressed his disappointment over candidates shifting their ideological positions. “This election is completely different than other elections. This time it was very confusing. Last time, a person, who was with one party is now absolutely against it. He is under a different flag or another ideology,” he says.

Pethe pointed out that “there was a dilemma in my mind” because a lot of candidates have a background of criminal activity. “That is very worrisome for me. But, still you have to choose. I always say that sometimes there is a bad period but, still, you have to choose because you have to keep your faith in democracy,” he said.

Voters are compelled to wait for about 15 minutes in queues at the polling station in Yashwantrao Chavan School in Pune's Bibwewadi area.

The process of casting votes are taking longer than usual as some voters are confused about the four EVM machines.

(Express Photos)

Ujwala Goud, an independent candidate from Ward 24 Kasba Peth and her supporters raised questions when they found that the EVM machine at the polling booth in Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College were not placed in the correct order as ABCD, and were in reverse mode.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and his family cast their votes early in Nagpur.

(Express Photo by Dhananjay Khedkar)

Pune resident, Animesh Mantravadi came along with his parents to exercise their franchise at the Kroot Memorial School in Azad Nagar.

They were see waiting inside their vehicle due to delay in getting a wheelchair.

His father Vijay Mantravadi is 80 years old, and says despite his condition, he has come to vote. "This is my right. Where is the wheelchair," he asked.

After moments waiting for the wheelchair, he finally got one, and here's what he says:

Mumbai - 6.98%

Thane- 8%

KDMC- 7.21%

Vasai Virar - 8.49%

Nashik - 6.51%

Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar- 7%

Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil exercised his right to vote in Kothrud for PMC polls on Thursday.

Former corporator Shyam Lande and his wife Manisha Lande who is an NCP candidate also voted at the Kasarwadi polling centre in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Abhijit Shivarkar who earlier left Congress, where he and his father served for decades, also cast his vote today. Unable to get a ticket from Congress made him exit the party. He is now contesting on a BJP ticket.

Maharashtra Forest Minister and senior BJP leader Ganesh Naik said Thursday that he could not vote in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) polls as his name was missing from the voters’ list.

“I have been voting for many years at Navi Mumbai School No. 94 along with my family members, but this time I was told that voting would take place at St Mary’s High School. When I went there, there was no room number 9 as informed, and my name was not on the voters’ list, so I could not cast my vote,” Naik told reporters early morning.

He said he will go back to St Mary’s High School. “If a minister like me can face a situation where his name is missing from the voters’ list, then one can imagine what might be happening to common voters,” he said.

Read the full story here.

Voters with disability, as well as senior citizens receive wheelchair support to cast their vote in Pune's Ernadwane for PMC polls.

Elderly citizens also arrived at polling booths across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, where they are supported by ramps to conveniently register their votes.

(Express Photos and Videos)

73-year-old Dilip Kolhe, who came to register his vote at a polling booth in Moreshwar Sabhagruha in Pune's Dattawadi, said that voters were required to cast four votes, but only three voting machines were provided.

“The machines were colour-coded. Voters had to cast one vote each on the first two machines and two votes on the third. As an educated voter, I could manage, but I saw others struggling with the process. Providing four separate machines would have made voting easier, especially for less informed voters,” he said.

After casting his vote in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) polls, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat told reporters, “In a democratic setup, voting is needed to elect the government, and hence it is the duty of every citizen."

"With balanced opinion and consideration for people’s welfare, it is our duty to vote for the right candidate. It is the first duty of the day, and that is why I came here first to stand in line and vote," Bhagwat said.

He also said that the NOTA choice indirectly promotes unwanted candidates. (PTI)

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat casts his vote at a polling booth in Nagpur on Thursday.

(Express Photo by Dhananjay Khedkar)

The Local Self Government Voterlist website by the State Election commission of Maharashtra at https://mahasecvoterlist.in/ crashed early Thursday, leaving voters unable to check their names in the voter list.

However, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has its own website at https://pmcvotersearch.digielection.com/ which is still functional. Voters in Pune can check their names in the voting list on this site.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Seema Sawale casts her vote in Indrayaninagar-Balajinagar Prabhag for the Pimpri-Chinchwas Municipal Corporation (PCMC) polls.

Sawale has won from the same seat thrice. She is a former PCMC standing committee chairperson. She is facing Dr Suhas Kamble, an orthpaedic surgeon this time.

Pune NCP executive president Pradeep Deshmukh also casts his vote early in Shivajinagar in the Pune Municipal Corporation elections.