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Political activity intensified in Pune on Monday as 694 nomination papers were filed in a single day for the forthcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, election officials said. With this, the total number of nominations filed so far has reached 743 across 15 Returning Officer offices in the city.
The sharp rise in nominations came just a day before the December 30 deadline for filing papers. Officials pointed out that only 49 nominations had been received till December 28, indicating a last-minute rush by political parties and candidates to enter the electoral contest. Several senior and prominent leaders submitted their nominations on Monday, signalling the formal entry of major political parties into the civic election battle. Shiv Sena leader Nana Bhangire filed his papers from Ward No. 41, BJP candidate Ganesh Bidkar from Ward No. 24, while Congress candidate Prashant Jagtap entered the fray from Ward No. 18, officials confirmed. The PMC General Elections 2025-26 are being conducted as per directions of the State Election Commission, Maharashtra, for the election of 165 corporators from 41 wards. To facilitate the process, 15 Returning Officer offices have been set up across Pune. Official figures show that 10,307 nomination forms were sold between December 23 and December 27, while 1,449 forms were sold on December 29 alone. Among the offices, Bhavani Peth recorded the highest sale of nomination forms on Monday, whereas Yerwada-Kalas-Dhanori saw the lowest. According to the election schedule, the last date for withdrawal of nominations is January 2, 2026, and the final list of candidates will be published on January 3, which will determine the exact number of contestants in each ward. The PMC polls will be held on January 15, along with elections to 28 other municipal bodies in Maharashtra, with counting of votes scheduled for January 16. Meanwhile, election authorities said Model Code of Conduct enforcement teams have been deployed across the city, and all arrangements are in place to ensure smooth scrutiny of nominations and the conduct of the elections in a free, fair and transparent manner. (ANI)
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