Pune Municipal Corporation Elections 2026 Schedule Declared; Model Code of Conduct in Force
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 16th December 2025: The State Election Commission has officially sounded the bugle for the much-awaited Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) General Elections 2025-26. The municipal administration announced the election program on Tuesday, declaring that polling for the civic body will take place on January 15, 2026, with results to be declared on January 16, 2026.
With this announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force across the Pune Municipal Corporation limits with immediate effect (from Dec 15, 2025) and will remain until the election results are declared.
Key Election Schedule
According to the press note issued by the PMC, the timeline for the election process is as follows:
Filing of Nominations: December 23 to December 30, 2025 (11:00 AM to 2:00 PM). Note: Offices will remain closed on public holidays (Dec 25 and Dec 28).
Scrutiny of Nominations: December 31, 2025.
Publication of Valid Candidates: Immediately after scrutiny.
Withdrawal of Nominations: Up to January 2, 2026 (3:00 PM).
Allotment of Symbols: January 3, 2026.
Voting Day: January 15, 2026 (Thursday) – 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
Vote Counting: January 16, 2026 (Friday) – Starting at 10:00 AM.
Voter and Ward Statistics
The election will be held for a total of 165 seats across 41 Prabhags (Wards). The structure includes 40 wards with 4 members each and one ward with 5 members.
Total Voters: 35,59,854
Male Voters: 18,32,449
Female Voters: 17,99,017
Others: 488
Largest Ward: Ward No. 9 (Baner-Balewadi-Pashan) has the highest voter count at 1,56,038.
Smallest Ward: Ward No. 39 (Upper Indiranagar) has the lowest voter count at 60,884.
Reservations
Out of the total 165 seats, substantial representation has been mandated:
Women: 83 seats (50% reservation).
Scheduled Castes (SC): 22 seats (11 for women).
Scheduled Tribes (ST): 2 seats (1 for women).
OBC: 44 seats (22 for women).
Administrative Preparedness
To ensure a smooth polling process, the PMC has appointed 15 Returning Officers (RO) and 45 Assistant Returning Officers (ARO). Approximately 23,500 officials and staff will be deployed for election duty.
Polling Stations: An estimated 4,000 polling stations will be set up. The final list of polling stations will be published on December 20, 2025.
Technology: Voter search facilities have been made available on mahasecvoterlist.in
Strict Guidelines for Candidates
Expenditure Limit: The election expenditure limit per candidate has been fixed at ₹15 Lakh.
Nomination Process: Candidates must fill out nomination forms online, print them, and submit them along with the required affidavits.
Monitoring: To curb malpractice, the administration has formed ‘Flying Squads,’ Video Surveillance Teams, and Check Post teams to monitor the transport of cash, liquor, and gifts.
No Dues: Candidates can apply online to obtain their ‘No Dues’ certificates from the corporation.
The Municipal Commissioner, who heads the Election Monitoring Committee, has urged all political parties and candidates to strictly adhere to the code of conduct to ensure free and fair elections.
