As the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections approach on Thursday, January 15, a wave of proactive civic engagement is sweeping across the city's wards. Tired of unfulfilled promises and delayed development, residents' groups and federations are taking matters into their own hands, organizing a series of 'Know Your Candidate' events, Q&A sessions, and unique awareness campaigns to ensure an informed electorate and accountable future corporators.
Musical Notes and Signed Affidavits: Innovative Voter Outreach
In Deccan's wards 12 and 29, residents adopted a creative approach on Sunday, using a musical gathering to discuss local issues and encourage voting. Organizer Bahar Tepan, an IT professional, emphasized the goal was to 'awaken the voter', especially among senior citizens who often abstain. The event highlighted demands for better water management, green spaces, and planned development.
Meanwhile, in Ward 7, residents of Shivaji Housing Society took a more formal route. To combat what they see as a history of 'false promises', they made aspiring candidates sign affidavits committing to resolve pressing local issues post-elections. Core member Ashish Malvankar pointed to encroachments by food stalls and traffic congestion as major challenges, with the session designed to gauge candidates' awareness and commitment.
Charter of Demands: Water, Roads, and Encroachment Top Lists
Across the city, a consistent set of grievances emerged from citizens. In fast-growing areas like Wakad, Tathawade, and Punawale (Ward 25), voters presented a common charter seeking motorable roads, adequate water supply, better drainage to prevent flooding, and improved waste collection. Anita Deshmukh from Punawale stressed the need for permanent solutions over temporary patchwork, especially during monsoons.
Similar concerns echoed in Vimannagar, Lohegaon, Wagholi (Ward 3), and Kalyaninagar. Residents cited worsening traffic, water shortages, poor drainage, and the strain from unplanned construction. In Kalyaninagar, specific issues like loose cable wires, monsoon flooding, and unchecked commercialization of residential zones were raised. Candidates, including BJP's Yogesh Mulik and NCP's Sachin Bhagat, responded with pledges on tanker-free water supply, hawker regulation, and infrastructure upgrades.
Data-Driven Engagement and a Push for Transparency
Perhaps the most organized effort was seen in Ward 9 (Baner, Balewadi, Pashan), where citizen groups presented a detailed development charter based on surveys of over 6,500 residents. Their demands included notifying area sabha rules, protecting the Baner Pashan hills, ensuring water security, and controlling pollution. NCP candidate Amol Balwadkar lauded this data-driven civic engagement as essential for planned development.
The push for transparency was a universal theme. In Sahakarnagar, the citizens' forum live-streamed their Q&A session on YouTube. Candidate Anil Satav in Ward 3 promised six-monthly public progress reports on major works. This reflects a clear voter mandate: they want representatives who manage the ward like a project, with deadlines and accountability.
The elections, delayed by three years, will see Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad residents vote for their corporators on January 15, with results declared on January 16. With booths set up in housing societies to boost turnout, the heightened citizen activism suggests a community determined to translate their votes into tangible, everyday improvements.
