Pune Division Initiates Formal Process for Electing Mayors Across Six Municipal Corporations
The Pune revenue division has officially commenced preparations for electing mayors across six municipal corporations within its jurisdiction. This significant administrative step follows the recent completion of municipal elections and the declaration of results earlier this month.
Meeting Held to Discuss Election Procedures
After the Maharashtra state government announced reservations for mayor positions across twenty-nine municipal corporations, the Pune Divisional Commissioner convened a crucial meeting with officials from all municipal corporations in the division. The primary agenda was to discuss and outline the detailed election process for mayors, ensuring proper implementation of state directives.
Municipal Corporations in Pune Division
The Pune revenue division encompasses six major municipal corporations:
- Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)
- Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation
- Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation
- Solapur Municipal Corporation
- Kolhapur Municipal Corporation
- Ichalkaranji Municipal Corporation
The elections for these municipal corporations were successfully conducted on January 15, with results formally declared on January 16, setting the stage for the subsequent mayoral elections.
Step-by-Step Election Process
According to officials familiar with the proceedings, the election process will follow a structured approach:
- Formation of Political Groups: The divisional commissioner's office will first facilitate the creation of part-wise groups for each political party based on the recently declared election results.
- Appointment of Returning Officer: A returning officer will be formally appointed to oversee and conduct the mayor election process with proper authority.
- Issuance of Election Notice: The Pune Municipal Corporation will then issue an official notice for the mayor election, formally initiating the electoral process.
An officer from PMC explained that the entire process from notice issuance to the actual election is expected to take approximately fifteen days to complete.
Tenure and Historical Context
The mayor position carries a tenure of two and a half years, providing stable leadership for municipal governance. In the Pune Municipal Corporation specifically, the recent election results show the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing a commanding majority with 119 out of 165 seats.
Other parties represented include the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with 27 seats, Congress with 15 seats, NCP(SP) with 3 seats, and Shiv Sena(UBT) with one seat.
Historically, during the previous five-year term from 2017 to 2022, the BJP held power in PMC with the mayor position designated for the open category. During this period, Mukta Tilak and Murlidhar Mohol of BJP served as mayors for two and a half years each.
The municipal corporation operated without an elected body from 2022 until the recent elections, functioning under a state government-appointed administrator. This administrative period resulted from delays in elections caused by legal challenges regarding seat reservations that reached the Supreme Court.
With the election results now finalized and the mayor election process formally initiated, these six municipal corporations in Pune division are poised to establish complete elected leadership structures for the coming term.
