Pune Municipal Election Likely by Late January 2026 after Supreme Court directive to hold local body polls before January 31.
Code of Conduct Expected in December, setting the stage for intense political activity.
Final Ward Boundaries & Reservations to be declared by early October before voter list updates.
Pune, 17 September 2025: Pune is gearing up for its much-awaited municipal elections, which are likely to be held in the last week of January 2026, with January 23 emerging as the most probable voting date. This follows a Supreme Court order directing the Maharashtra government to complete all local body elections in the state before January 31, 2026.
During a recent hearing, the Supreme Court questioned the state government over delays in holding the elections and set a final deadline to complete the process. With this directive, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) poll schedule is now expected to move swiftly. The Model Code of Conduct is likely to come into effect by mid-December, paving the way for candidate announcements and campaign activity.
The PMC election will be held under a four-member ward system, with 40 wards having four members each and one ward having five members. The state government-appointed committee has already reviewed over 5,900 objections to the preliminary ward plan. The final ward boundaries will be submitted to the State Election Commission by September 22, and the final map is expected to be released between October 3 and 6.
Following the announcement of ward boundaries, reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and women will be declared. Voter lists will then be updated and finalized, ensuring all electoral rolls are ready ahead of the election. These procedures are expected to be completed within October.
Once these steps are finished, the Election Commission will announce the official election schedule. Administrative sources indicate that if there is no change in the plan, voting will likely take place between January 15 and 23, with the new mayor expected to be elected in February 2026.
