The crucial process for candidates to file their nomination papers for the upcoming civic body elections in Pune kicks off on Tuesday, December 24. This marks the formal beginning of the electoral battle for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), even as major political parties are still embroiled in last-minute negotiations over alliances and seat-sharing formulas.
Nomination Centers and Schedule
To facilitate a smooth process, the election authorities have established dedicated offices across both municipal jurisdictions. For the 41 wards of the PMC, 15 returning offices have been set up, with each office catering to three wards. In the PCMC area, which has 32 wards, eight offices are operational, with each handling four wards. Officials were busy with final preparations at these facilities on Monday to ensure everything is in order for the first day of filing.
The window for submitting nominations will remain open until December 30, with exceptions on the public holidays of December 25 and 28. While candidates technically have six working days to file their papers, a last-minute rush is anticipated in the final days as political parties finalize their official candidates.
Political Chessboard: Alliances and Strategies
Political dynamics are still fluid. Sources indicate that independent candidates are likely to start submitting their applications from Tuesday itself. However, aspirants hoping for tickets from established political parties are expected to adopt a wait-and-watch approach until their parties finalize decisions.
On the alliance front, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena are expected to join hands for the PMC polls, though a concrete seat-sharing agreement is yet to be finalized. In a significant development, it appears unlikely that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will engage in a friendly contest with the BJP. Meanwhile, the Congress party is reportedly planning to contest all seats independently.
Major developments are expected in the coming days regarding a potential alliance between the NCP and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) for the Pune civic elections, sources added.
Administrative Preparedness and Online Initiatives
Civic authorities have assured that all staff assigned election duty has undergone thorough training to accept applications from candidates. Adequate security measures will be in place at all nomination offices, and political workers have been instructed not to enter the premises and to adhere strictly to the guidelines.
In a move to modernize and expedite the process, the PMC has launched an online system for issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to candidates. This system has already received an overwhelming response, with over 2,100 NOC applications submitted online so far. The first such NOC was issued to an applicant on Monday.
The administration has electronically linked 44 different departments to generate the necessary reports based on which NOCs and no-dues certificates are issued. Pune Additional Municipal Commissioner Omprakash Divte stated that this online NOC system is designed to save time and simplify the entire documentation process for candidates.
Furthermore, both the PMC and PCMC have established dedicated cells at each returning officer's office to accept complaints regarding any violations of the Model Code of Conduct. All election offices are now functioning at full capacity to manage the democratic process efficiently.
