Pune: ‘Citizen Awareness Campaign’ Launched Ahead of PMC Elections to Promote Informed Voting
Pune, 25th June 2025: As the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections approach, civic activists have launched a powerful initiative titled the Citizen Awareness Campaign to promote informed and responsible voting. The campaign was formally introduced during a press conference held on Wednesday at Oakwood Hotel, Bhandarkar Road.
Led by noted RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar and veteran journalist Vinita Deshmukh, the campaign urges voters to look beyond slogans and evaluate candidates based on past performance rather than promises.
Highlighting growing public frustration, Kumbhar said, “For years, civic issues like pothole-ridden roads, poor waste management, water supply disruptions, and encroachments have been neglected. Citizens must now hold their corporators accountable.”
Vinita Deshmukh emphasized the need for voters to ask difficult questions and make informed decisions. “If a candidate lacks credibility, voters should not hesitate to use the NOTA (None of the Above) option,” she said.
The campaign includes a series of initiatives such as citywide seminars, performance reviews of former corporators, public questionnaires, and social media outreach to counter misinformation.
One of the major upcoming events is a seminar titled ‘Municipal Elections: Role of Citizens and Responsibility of Corporators’, scheduled for June 29 at 10.30 am at the new seminar hall of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, BMCC Road. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Mahesh Zagade, former Principal Secretary to the Government of Maharashtra and former Pune Municipal Commissioner. The other keynote speaker will be former MP and environmentalist Vandana
Chavan.
The initiative also aims to engage youth and housing societies, encourage support for merit-based candidates, and issue voter alerts in cases where relatives of underperforming corporators are in the fray.
