Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has completed all preparations to ensure the smooth, transparent and peaceful conduct of the forthcoming civic elections for 2025-26, PCMC commissioner and election officer Shravan Hardikar said on Tuesday.

Hardikar said the civic administration has put in place a strong administrative, manpower and technological framework in line with the guidelines of the State Election Commission (SEC). Close coordination has been established with the police department to maintain law and order and to strictly enforce the Model Code of Conduct across the city.

“The entire election machinery is fully prepared. From staffing and logistics to surveillance and voter facilitation, all arrangements have been finalised to ensure free and fair elections,” said Hardikar.

As per the SEC-approved ward structure notified on October 6, PCMC has been divided into 32 wards, each electing four corporators, taking the total strength of the House to 128 members. Of these, 64 seats have been reserved for women. Based on the 2011 Census, the civic area has a population of 17.27 lakh, including 2.73 lakh Scheduled Caste and 36,535 Scheduled Tribe residents. Accordingly, 20 seats have been reserved for Scheduled Castes, three for Scheduled Tribes and 34 for the Backward Class of citizens, with women’s reservation applicable across categories.

The total number of voters in the PCMC limits stands at 1,713,891, including 9,05,728 men, 8,07,966 women and 197 voters from the ‘other’ category. The ward-wise final electoral rolls were published on December 15. Ward 16 has the highest number of voters at 75,105, while Ward 23 has the lowest at 33,033. A total of 2,034 polling stations have been identified, with the final list to be published on December 20.

To manage election operations, PCMC has activated its eight zonal offices and appointed eight returning officers and 24 assistant returning officers. Around 14,000 officers and employees have been deployed for election duties. For polling day, each booth will have a presiding officer, three polling officers and support staff, with additional reserve personnel kept on standby.

Special measures have also been taken to prevent malpractices. Video surveillance teams will monitor rallies and campaign expenditure, while flying squads and check-post teams will keep watch on inducements, illegal cash movement and other violations. Grievance redressal cells have been set up at the municipal and ward levels for prompt action on complaints.

To boost voter turnout, PCMC has rolled out an extensive voter awareness drive under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation  programme, focusing on youth, women, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

For the convenience of candidates, the facility to apply online for the ‘No Dues Certificate’ has been made available on the official PCMC website, from where the certificate can also be downloaded. Voters can verify their names in the electoral roll through the State Election Commission’s official website, mahasecvoterlist.in, using the ‘Search name in voter list’ option.

Hardikar appealed to citizens, candidates and political parties to strictly follow the Model Code of Conduct and cooperate with the administration to ensure the successful conduct of the civic polls.

All systems in place for smooth PCMC polls, says commissioner