The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the early frontrunner in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, in early trends by leading in 34 seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and NCP (Sharad Pawar) registered an advantage in the neighbouring Pimpri–Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), indicating a split mandate across the Pune metropolitan region.
The overall voter turnout in the PMC polls stood at 52.42 per cent, reflecting a marginal decline compared to the 2017 civic elections. The lowest polling was recorded in Aundh–Bopodi ward (45.12 per cent), followed closely by Wanowrie–Salunke Vihar (45.54 per cent). In contrast, the highest turnout of 57.81 per cent was seen in the Shivane–Khadakwasla–Dhayari ward, an area recently merged into the PMC limits following the city’s expansion.
The BJP is banking on its strengthened presence in central Pune, where it expects consolidation of urban votes, while the NCP remains confident of strong support in suburban areas, a trend that appears to be reflected in the PCMC results.
In an unusual development, the counting of votes began without the official announcement of the voter turnout percentage for PMC. The figures were awaited until late Thursday night, but authorities did not disclose them before counting commenced. Polling for the PMC elections was held on Thursday, January 15, 2026, with voting taking place from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm. Despite expectations of higher participation due to population growth, rapid urbanisation and the extension of civic limits, the city did not witness an increase in turnout. Thursday’s polling stood at 54.50 per cent, slightly lower than the 55.56 per cent recorded in the 2017 elections.
A total of 35,52,637 voters were eligible to cast their ballots to elect 165 corporators from 41 wards. Officials cited several factors affecting polling, including missing names in electoral rolls, voter migration to other wards, allegations of bogus voting, and technical snags in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). As counting progresses, the results are expected to offer clearer insight into voter preferences in Pune, a key urban political battleground in Maharashtra’s civic landscape.