The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) released its final electoral roll on Monday, revealing substantial revisions in several wards compared to the draft list published on November 20. The data indicates that at least seven administrative wards have recorded a difference of more than 4,000 voters each, a shift that political analysts say could significantly influence upcoming municipal election results.
Major Shifts in Ward-wise Voter Strength
According to the finalized list, ward number 16, covering Akurdi gaothan and surrounding areas, has now emerged as the largest electoral ward in Pimpri Chinchwad with 75,105 registered voters. This displaces ward number 1 (Talawade-Rupeenagar), which previously held the top position with 74,340 voters.
In contrast, ward number 23, which includes Keshavnagar and adjacent localities, remains the smallest ward. Its voter count further decreased by 1,732 individuals in the final list compared to the draft.
The most notable corrections occurred in two specific wards. Ward number 6 (Moshi) saw a major rectification where 7,064 voters, who were incorrectly listed in the ward earlier, have been moved to their correct wards. Conversely, ward number 7 (Vidyanagar, Pimple Gurav) witnessed a substantial addition of 6,076 voters who were transferred from neighboring wards.
At the other end of the spectrum, areas like Krishnanagar were barely touched by the revision process, with only 11 new voters added to the final list.
Public Access and Official Statement
Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar stated that the final voters' list has been published online for easy public access. He added that physical copies of the list are also available for scrutiny at all eight ward offices as well as the main PCMC headquarters, ensuring transparency for all citizens and political stakeholders.
Potential Impact on Election Outcomes
Political observers have highlighted that voter changes exceeding 5,000 can dramatically alter election fortunes in the municipal corporation polls. They pointed to the 2017 election results, where several corporators won their seats by narrow margins of 6,000 to 7,000 votes.
For instance, independent candidate Kailash alias Baba Bhalchandra Barne, who won from ward number 23, secured victory with 5,024 votes. Similarly, Shiv Sena's Minal Yadav was elected from ward number 14 with a tally of 6,398 votes. These examples underscore how shifts of several thousand voters in the revised list could potentially change the outcome in closely contested wards, making the final list a critical document for all political parties as they strategize for the upcoming civic polls.
