State Election Commission Approves Final Ward Structure for Pune Municipal Corporation Elections
Pune, 4th October 2025: The State Election Commission has approved the final ward structure for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), which is expected to be officially announced on Monday.
“The State Election Commission has approved the final ward structure for the Pune Municipal Corporation elections. The government order for this structure will be announced on Monday,” said Prasad Katkar, Deputy Commissioner of the Election Branch, PMC.
The commission’s approval comes after hearing objections to the draft ward structure, though speculation suggests that some changes may have been influenced by political considerations. Observers are keen to see if these adjustments reflect the influence of parties within the Mahayuti alliance.
Following instructions from the State Election Commission, the PMC prepared the ward structure for the upcoming elections based on the 2011 population census. The city’s total population of 34,81,359 includes 4,68,000 Scheduled Caste residents and 40,000 Scheduled Tribe residents. Based on this data, 165 corporators will be elected across 41 wards, with 40 wards having four members each and one ward having five members.
During the objection hearings at Balgandharva Rangmandir, around 800 citizens participated, raising 5,922 objections. Key issues included changes to reserved wards for Scheduled Castes and Tribes and renaming of certain wards. Authorized officers appointed by the state government compiled a final report on these objections, which was subsequently submitted to the State Election Commission.
The Election Commission, which had a deadline of 6 October to announce the final structure, approved it on Friday. However, since Saturday and Sunday are government holidays, officials said the official gazette notification and ward maps will likely be released on Monday.
The draft ward structure had sparked controversy, as it was seen as disadvantageous to several established corporators and opposition parties in Pune, while potentially favoring the BJP. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar expressed displeasure over the draft, bringing intra-alliance tensions within the Mahayuti to the fore.
Wards in the Hadapsar, Khadakwasla, and Vadgaon Sheri assembly constituencies are considered crucial for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and there is curiosity about whether any modifications will be made in these areas following the concerns raised by party leaders.
