380 objections filed on PMC draft ward structure, none from opposition parties

The objections have been submitted at 15 regional PMC offices and at the election office in Savarkar Bhavan. Citizens can continue filing objections until 3 pm on September 4

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has received 380 objections and suggestions on its draft ward structure for the upcoming civic elections. However, none of the prominent opposition parties, which had sharply criticised the plan last week, have filed formal objections so far.

However, none of the prominent opposition parties, which had sharply criticised the plan last week, have filed formal objections so far. (HT)

The objections have been submitted at 15 regional PMC offices and at the election office in Savarkar Bhavan. Citizens can continue filing objections until 3 pm on September 4.

The draft ward structure was announced on August 22, following directions from the State Election Commission. Since then, the administration has been inviting objections and suggestions. Deputy commissioner of elections Prasad Katkar said 380 submissions have been received in the past eight days, and the number is expected to increase before the deadline.

In comparison, over 2,500 objections were filed against the 2017 ward structure. This time, 130 residents from the Thite settlement in Kharadi alone have submitted identical objections, while several others have been raised from wards under the Sinhagad Road regional office.

Katkar confirmed that while individual citizens have been vocal, no opposition party has come forward officially. The Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, and other smaller parties had criticised the draft immediately after its release, but have stopped short of filing objections.

According to the draft, PMC has been divided into 41 wards. Of these, 40 wards will have four members each, while one ward will have five members. The changes largely reflect the inclusion of several villages within PMC limits, which has created larger wards in the suburbs while leaving central city wards mostly unchanged.

Some citizens have objected to ward names and boundaries, particularly where they cross rivers, streams, and drains. Others have demanded the renaming and redrawing of limits. The Election Department said such objections are common whenever new ward structures are proposed and assured that all suggestions will be reviewed before finalisation. For the 2025 civic polls, the administration has focused on accommodating the expanded city limits while maintaining a balance in voter numbers across wards. The absence of formal submissions from opposition parties, despite their criticism, has nonetheless stood out in the process.