The race for the upcoming civic elections in the Pune metropolitan region has begun in earnest, with a significant number of aspirants picking up nomination forms on the very first day of the process. Election officials reported that a total of 5,098 nomination forms were collected by potential candidates across the jurisdictions of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
Breakdown of Form Collection
The initial enthusiasm was slightly higher within the PMC limits, where 2,886 forms were collected. Its neighboring civic body, PCMC, saw 2,212 forms being picked up by poll aspirants on Tuesday. Despite the high number of forms collected, election department officials clarified that not a single nomination was formally filed on the opening day. This indicates that aspirants are currently at the stage of gathering documents and preparing their papers.
Infrastructure and Ward-Wise Response
To facilitate the smooth distribution and acceptance of nominations, the election machinery has set up multiple offices. The PMC has established 15 election offices across its 41 administrative wards. Similarly, the PCMC has set up eight election offices covering its 32 wards.
A senior PCMC official provided insights into the ward-level response, noting that the process saw varied interest. Wards numbered 9, 19, and 30 witnessed the highest traction, with each seeing over 100 individuals collecting nomination forms. In contrast, the response in other wards remained comparatively subdued, with fewer than 100 forms collected in each on day one.
Election Schedule and Political Strategy
The state election commission has laid out a clear timeline for the process. The window for filing nominations will remain open until December 30. However, the process will be suspended on December 25 and December 28 due to public holidays. Following the closure of nominations, scrutiny of all papers will be conducted on December 31. Candidates will then have the opportunity to withdraw their nominations until January 2.
The absence of formal filings on the first day is largely attributed to the ongoing internal processes of political parties. Most major political parties are yet to finalize their official candidates for the various wards. Sources indicate that the bulk of the nominations are expected to be formally submitted only after parties make their official announcements and declarations, which is likely to happen closer to the deadline.
This initial phase of form collection serves as a strong indicator of the competitive landscape shaping up for the crucial civic polls, which will decide the leadership of Pune's major urban local bodies.
