Pune PMC lottery for reserved wards postponed; awaiting final commission orders.
Final ward structure approved after 5,922 objections; major boundary changes in suburban Wards 4 and 38.
Lottery will reserve 22 SC, 2 ST, and 83 women's seats (50% of total 165).
Pune, 10 October 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation has formally postponed the draw (lottery) intended to decide the reservation of electoral wards for the forthcoming municipal elections. Originally scheduled for today, the lottery has been indefinitely delayed as the PMC is still awaiting the necessary official directives from the state commission. As the administration awaits these orders, the event remains on hold.
Following the establishment of the ward boundaries, the reservation process is the essential subsequent phase. In the upcoming Pune municipal elections, 165 corporators will be chosen from the 41 finalized wards. Recently, the city underwent a procedure where citizens raised 5,922 objections and suggestions regarding the proposed ward structure.
After the hearings, the commission fully accepted 1,329 objections and partially accepted 69, resulting in essential modifications to the final ward map. These adjustments mainly impacted the boundaries of Wards 1, 4, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 24, 27, 34, 38, and 39. It was observed that suburban regions underwent more substantial changes compared to the central areas of Pune, with Wards 4 and 38 experiencing the most significant boundary shifts.
The lottery aims to decide which of the remaining wards will be allocated for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and women. After this reservation is officially declared, potential candidates will be informed about the wards they are eligible to contest. The reservation distribution is anticipated to comprise 2 seats for ST, 22 seats for SC, and 83 seats for women, ensuring the legally required 50% reservation across all 165 seats.
Even though the official orders have not yet been issued, the delay is anticipated to be brief. Internal discussions hint at October 15th as a potential date, but the PMC administration has stated they are waiting for formal confirmation. The prevailing opinion is that the reservation lottery will definitely take place before the Diwali festival.