PUNE, 5 NOV. The bugle has been sounded for the elections of the Municipal Councils (Nagar Parishad) and Nagar Panchayats in Pune district. Votes will be cast for the district’s 14 Municipal Councils and 3 Nagar Panchayats. The district administration has completed all preparations. Elections will be held for the first time in Phursungi-Uruli Devachi, Manchar, and Malegaon Budruk. A total of 730 polling centres have been proposed.

In Pune district, votes for the Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats will be cast on December 2, while the counting will take place on December 3. The State Election Commission announced the elections for the Municipal Councils and Panchayats on Tuesday, November 4. A total of 398 corporators will be elected from the district's 14 Municipal Councils and 3 Nagar Panchayats. To ensure that the polling is conducted smoothly, 730 polling centres have been proposed. District Collector Jitendra Dudi provided this information at a press conference on Tuesday.

Classification of Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats

Baramati Municipal Council in Pune district is considered 'A' grade, while Lonavala, Daund, Chakan, Talegaon Dabhade, and Phursungi-Uruli Devachi are considered 'B' grade Municipalities. Additionally, eight Municipal Councils—Saswad, Jejuri, Indapur, Shirur, Junnar, Alandi, Bhor, and Rajgurunagar—have been placed in the 'C' grade. The list of Nagar Panchayats includes Manchar, Vadgaon Maval, and Malegaon Budruk. Among these, Phursungi-Uruli Devachi Municipal Council and Manchar and Malegaon Budruk Nagar Panchayats are holding elections for the first time. Consequently, both the voters and the administration have to make special preparations in these areas.

Wards and Member Strength

A total of 398 members will be elected from 222 wards in this election. One corporator will be elected from each ward in the Nagar Panchayats, while two or three corporators will be elected from each ward in the Municipal Councils.

The number of corporators in each Municipal Council is: Baramati 21, Lonavala 27, Daund 26, Talegaon 28, Chakan 25, Saswad 22, Jejuri 20, Indapur 20, Shirur 24, Junnar 20, Alandi 21, Bhor 20, Rajgurunagar 21, Vadgaon 17, Malegaon Budruk 17, Phursungi-Uruli Devachi 17, and Manchar 17.

Number of Voters and Distribution of Polling Centres

According to the voter list of July 1, 2025, there are 6 lakh 34 thousand 940 voters in all these local bodies of the district. This number has increased by about 3 thousand compared to the last election.

The distribution of polling centres is as follows: Baramati 115, Lonavala 63, Daund 56, Talegaon 71, Chakan 36, Saswad 36, Jejuri 20, Indapur 27, Shirur 36, Junnar 30, Alandi 30, Bhor 22, Rajgurunagar 34, Vadgaon 24, Malegaon Budruk 22, Phursungi-Uruli Devachi 84, and Manchar 24, totalling 730 proposed polling centres. In the last election, this number was 515, which means the number of centres has increased by 40 per cent this time.

Polling Centre Standards and Facilities

The plan is for one polling centre per 900 to 1,000 voters for 'A' and 'B' grade Municipal Councils, while one centre per 800 to 900 voters is planned for Councils with a directly elected President. For Nagar Panchayats, the standard set is one centre per 1,000 to 1,100 voters. This year, instructions have been given to provide basic facilities, ramp access for differently-abled voters, and digital assistant information boards at every centre.

Voting Machine Arrangement

The district administration has also made arrangements for the necessary equipment for the election. A total of 811 Control Units and 1,622 Ballot Units have been made available. A separate strong room for ballot boxes will be prepared in each taluka for secure storage after voting.

Election Officials and Staff

Among the officers appointed by the State Election Commission, six Deputy Collectors will act as Election Returning Officers for 'A' and 'B' grade Municipal Councils, while 11 Tehsildars have been entrusted with the responsibility for 'C' grade Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats. The Chief Officer at each location will serve as the Assistant Election Returning Officer. A total of 810 Presiding Officers and 3,240 Polling Officers will be appointed. All staff will work under the control of the concerned Election Returning Officer.

According to the information received from the district administration, the Election Commission has completed all necessary preparations to conduct the entire process transparently and peacefully. There is an atmosphere of enthusiasm in the newly established Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats. The formal declaration of the election is expected after the final list of centres is announced in the coming week.

Model Code of Conduct Must Not Affect Other Results

On this occasion, District Collector Jitendra Dudi said that the elections for the local body institutions have been declared, and the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will be applicable in these areas. It will, therefore, not apply to other Municipal Corporation or Zilla Parishad areas. However, both these institutions must take care that any decisions they make do not affect the election results.

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