Pune, 15 January 2026: Polling for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections was underway on Thursday, along with voting in 27 other civic bodies across Maharashtra, including Mumbai. However, voter turnout remained low through the first half of the day.
By 11.30 am, PCMC had recorded a voter turnout of 16.3 per cent, while PMC stood at 14.92 per cent. Both civic bodies appealed to citizens to come out and exercise their right to vote, saying public participation was essential for a strong local government.
The polling day coincided with an extended holiday for many workers, following Makar Sankranti on Wednesday. After casting their votes in the morning, many people chose to go on short trips instead of returning home or to work. This led to a sharp rise in tourist traffic heading towards nearby destinations.
As a result, the Pune–Mumbai Highway witnessed heavy congestion, especially near Somatane Phata, where traffic jams began forming by around 10 am. The situation was made worse by the movement of sugarcane-carrying trucks and tractors from the nearby cooperative sugar factory.
Several commuters faced long delays as vehicles piled up on both sides of the highway. With more travellers expected to head out in the afternoon, officials warned that the traffic situation could worsen later in the day.