PCMC has submitted its draft ward structure based on a four-member system, reviving the civic poll process after a delay due to the OBC reservation issue.
The proposal divides the Pimpri-Chinchwad area into 32 wards, electing 128 corporators, with 64 seats reserved for women.
Final approval from the State Election Commission will follow public feedback, expected after publication of the draft on August 22.
Pune, 6th August 2025: With the inclusion of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation now cleared, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has submitted its draft ward structure plan to the state’s Urban Development Department. This marks a crucial step toward conducting the long-delayed municipal elections in Pune’s twin city.
The proposed ward structure retains the four-member system used during the 2017 civic elections and is based on the 2011 Census population of 17,27,692. According to the draft, the city will be divided into 32 electoral wards, from which a total of 128 corporators will be elected. Each ward will represent a population between 49,000 and 59,000.
In an effort to ensure balanced representation, 64 of the 128 seats have been reserved for women. The full reservation breakdown includes 20 seats for Scheduled Castes (SC), of which 10 are for women; 3 for Scheduled Tribes (ST), with 2 for women; 35 for OBCs, including 18 for women; and 70 for the general (open) category, with 34 reserved for women candidates.
The ward formation process began in the Talwade-Chikhli area and proceeded in descending order across the city, ending in the Sangvi-Dapodi region. Officials said this was done keeping in mind population distribution and administrative convenience.
Avinash Shinde, Assistant Commissioner of PCMC’s Election Department, stated that the plan has been prepared to accommodate both the rising population and reservation mandates. He said the draft has been submitted for review to the Urban Development Department and, after necessary corrections, will be forwarded to the State Election Commission (SEC).
Once cleared, the draft will be published on August 22, following which public objections and suggestions will be invited between August 22 and 28. This process will pave the way for the final approval and eventual scheduling of civic polls.
This move is expected to significantly impact the political landscape of Pimpri-Chinchwad, which has been without elected representatives for an extended period due to the delay over OBC quota implementation. The inclusion of these reservations is likely to influence party strategies and candidate selection in the upcoming elections.
