Pune: BJP Kicks Off PMC Poll Campaign as First Nomination Filed in Pune

Pune, 29th December 2025: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formally set the tone for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections on Monday with the filing of the city’s first official nomination, marking the party’s early push in the civic poll race.

Ganesh Bidkar, BJP’s candidate and election in-charge from Ward No. 24, submitted his nomination papers in the presence of Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil and MLA Hemant Rasane. His nomination effectively launched the party’s PMC election campaign in Pune.

Party insiders revealed that the BJP has identified 100 wards it plans to contest and has already issued AB forms to 80 candidates, paving the way for their nominations. Although the party is yet to announce its first official list of candidates, the distribution of AB forms indicates that Pune has become the second city after Mumbai where the BJP has completed the initial phase of candidate finalisation.

With Bidkar’s nomination, the party formally declared him as its authorised candidate from Ward 24. Meanwhile, Vishal Dhanwade, who recently joined the BJP, has been allotted an AB form for Ward No. 23 and is expected to file his nomination later in the day.

The BJP has also fulfilled earlier commitments made to the families of late senior leaders Girish Bapat and Mukta Tilak. According to party sources, Kunal Tilak and Swarada Bapat, the daughter-in-law of Girish Bapat, have been issued AB forms from Ward No. 25. Kunal Tilak had earlier been promised a legislative assembly ticket and was later assured an opportunity in the PMC elections — a promise the party has now honoured.

As the nomination window enters its final stretch, with only Monday and Tuesday remaining, civic authorities are bracing for large turnouts at ward offices. The Pune Municipal Corporation has introduced an online facility for candidates to obtain the mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs).

PMC officials stated that candidates filing nominations on Monday will receive NOCs the same day, while those submitting papers on Tuesday may not be guaranteed immediate clearance, adding urgency to the last phase of the nomination process.