As the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections approaches near, engineer couple Aishwarya Pathare and Surendra Pathare official BJP candidates from ward number 3 and 4 subsequently have emerged as proponents of a professional, execution-focused model of civic governance, arguing that urban voters now seek efficiency over traditional political functioning.
Both trained engineers, the couple say their campaign is centred on applying project management principles to municipal administration, including planning, timelines, accountability and measurable outcomes.
“People are no longer looking for a traditional corporator. They are looking for a project manager who can plan, execute and deliver development work on time,” Aishwarya Pathare said while outlining their vision for civic governance.
Surendra Pathare echoed the sentiment, stating that cities like Pune and specially eastern part from where they are contesting for election required technically sound leadership to address complex challenges such as infrastructure development, traffic management, water supply and waste management.
The couple’s campaign style has also drawn attention for its data-driven approach, with ward-level assessments and structured presentations replacing conventional rhetoric.
Their entry reflects a broader trend of educated professionals entering urban local body elections, seeking to introduce transparency, efficiency and corporate-style management practices in civic bodies like the PMC, which oversee large-scale public infrastructure and public service delivery.
The PMC elections are being closely watched as a test of whether voters embrace a professional governance model over traditional political representation.
Pune to vote for Pune Municipal Corporation election on Jan 15 and counting tonbe done on 16 January 2026.