The upcoming elections for the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are set to feature a surprisingly smaller pool of candidates compared to the last poll, despite a fractured political landscape offering more options than ever. While initial interest was high, the final list has shrunk, setting the stage for a direct clash between major factions.
Sharp Decline in Final Candidate Tally
This time, a total of 692 candidates are in the fray for the 128-seat civic body. This marks a significant reduction from the 773 candidates who contested the previous elections held back in 2017. The drop is notable because it comes after a long gap of nearly nine years, with the last polls held seven years ago.
The corporation's structure remains unchanged, with 128 seats across 32 wards, ensuring four seats in each ward. The reduction in candidates unfolded through a rigorous process of scrutiny and withdrawals after a flood of initial nominations.
Nomination Scrutiny and Last-Minute Withdrawals
Election officials received a whopping over 1,900 nomination forms from 1,135 aspirants. However, many of these were filed by dummy candidates as a strategic backup. During scrutiny on Thursday, officials rejected 99 nomination forms for various technical reasons.
In a separate setback, the AB forms of five candidates – three from BJP and two from Shiv Sena – were rejected for missing the submission deadline, forcing them to contest as Independents. The final day for withdrawal saw a major exodus, with 443 candidates, mostly Independents, pulling out of the race.
The H zonal office, covering wards 20, 30, 31, and 32, saw the highest churn. These four wards had received around 200 nominations, but 83 were withdrawn, leaving 117 candidates in contention – the highest for any zone.
A Crowded Political Field Yet Concentrated Contest
The lower candidate count is intriguing given the expanded political menu available. In 2017, candidates hailed from just eight parties recognized by the State Election Commission (SEC), besides Independents. The 2024 field has grown with new entrants like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) throwing their hats in the ring.
Furthermore, the splits in established parties like Shiv Sena and the NCP created additional options in the form of NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT). Despite this fragmentation, the contest is largely centered around the two factions of the NCP and the BJP, which have fielded the maximum number of candidates.
The BJP has already secured an early advantage, winning two wards – 6B and 10B – unopposed after rivals withdrew. Consequently, elections will now be held for only 126 of the 128 seats, making the battle for the Pimpri Chinchwad civic body a tightly focused and high-stakes affair.
