Pune: Maharashtra Civic Elections See Record Candidate Rush After Nearly a Decade; Pune Emerges Most Competitive
Pune/Mumbai, 1st January 2025: After a prolonged gap of nearly eight to nine years, elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra have generated unprecedented political activity, with a record number of candidates entering the fray. The long delay in holding civic polls has intensified competition for party nominations, leading to internal dissent, public protests, and visible anger against senior leaders in several political parties after ticket denials.
Among all civic bodies, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has emerged as the most fiercely contested, with 3,179 candidates declared eligible for 165 corporator seats—the highest candidate count in the state. Political observers say the figures reflect heightened grassroots ambition and growing interest in local governance.
Pune is followed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), where 2,516 candidates are contesting 227 seats. Other major corporations have also recorded heavy candidature, including Nashik (2,356 candidates for 122 seats) and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (1,870 candidates for 115 seats). In Pimpri-Chinchwad, 1,993 candidates are vying for 128 seats.
Several cities have witnessed intense multi-cornered contests, with candidate numbers far exceeding available seats. These include Nagpur (1,452 candidates for 151 seats), Solapur (1,460 for 102 seats), Nanded-Waghala (1,203 for 81 seats), Jalna (1,260 for 65 seats) and Parbhani (919 for 65 seats).
City-wise Candidate Overview (Selected Corporations)
Thane: 1,128 candidates: 131 seats
Navi Mumbai: 956 candidates : 111 seats
Sangli–Miraj–Kupwad: 1,062 candidates : 78 seats
Bhiwandi–Nizampur: 1,033 candidates : 90 seats
Amravati: 1,027 candidates : 87 seats
Vasai–Virar: 935 candidates : 115 seats
Kolhapur: 813 candidates : 81 seats
Kalyan–Dombivli: 860 candidates : 122 seats
Ulhasnagar: 706 candidates : 78 seats
Akola: 777 candidates : 80 seats
Ahilyanagar: 788 candidates : 68 seats
At the lower end, Panvel recorded 391 candidates for 78 seats, while Ichalkaranji saw 456 candidates for 65 seats.
Across Maharashtra, a total of 33,606 candidates have been declared eligible to contest 2,869 corporator posts across 893 wards in the ongoing municipal elections.
Election officials attribute the surge in candidature to the extended absence of civic polls, which has fueled pent-up political aspirations at the ward level. With Pune and Mumbai leading the numbers, analysts believe the upcoming civic elections are set to become one of the most competitive local body contests in the state’s recent history.
