Pune, 12 September 2025: The draft ward restructuring for the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections sparked political outrage as citizens and party workers accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of manipulating reservations to benefit select leaders.
Protesters claimed that the newly proposed boundaries were drawn to reduce Scheduled Caste (SC) representation and demanded strict adherence to election commission rules.
The first day of hearings on the draft plan, held at Balgandharva Rangmandir, witnessed loud slogans such as “Victory to Shivaji Maharaj” and “Victory to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.”
Security was tightened inside and outside the hall as hundreds of citizens voiced objections to the preliminary ward layout. Authorized officer V. Radha from the state administration presided over the proceedings, along with PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram and senior officials.
A total of 5,922 objections have been filed across Pune, with 2,920 related to the first 29 wards heard on Wednesday. However, only 540 objectors were present. Ward 24 (Kamala Nehru Hospital–Rasta Peth) drew the highest participation, with 85 citizens attending.
Residents alleged that SC reservations in traditional strongholds like Rasta Peth, Mangalwar Peth, and Bhim Nagar were deliberately reduced. They pointed out that the SC population in Ward 24 had been shown as only 8,047 in the new plan, down from around 14,000 in the 2017 restructuring, weakening the community’s electoral strength.
Several speakers also objected to the shifting of SC reservation from Ward 24 to Ward 13 (Pune Station–Jay Jawan Nagar), calling it an attempt to dilute backward-class representation. Similar concerns were raised over Wards 12 (Shivajinagar–Model Colony) and 8 (Aundh–Bopodi), where activists fear reservations are either misplaced or unjustified.
Adding to the protests, Shiv Sena workers unfurled a banner demanding to know “Where is Kasba now?” accusing the BJP of politically motivated changes that erased the historic Kasba ward’s independent identity for the first time. Despite heated arguments and brief confusion when citizens surrounded officials, the hearing continued and all objections were officially recorded.
The hearings will continue on Thursday for the remaining wards. Civic officials assured that every objection will be reviewed before finalizing the ward boundaries to ensure fairness and representation for all communities.