The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to undergo a significant transformation with the decision to reintroduce a four-member ward system, marking an increase in the city’s ward count. This strategic shift from the traditional ‘one ward – one corporator’ system appears to favor the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has historically performed well under similar structures.
Since the implementation of the ward structure in 2014, the BJP has consistently secured the highest number of seats in the municipal corporation, peaking at 98 seats. In contrast, under the previous ‘one ward, one corporator’ system, the BJP managed a maximum of 25 seats. The recent approval by the state cabinet to extend the four-member ward system to all Municipal Corporations in the state, excluding Mumbai, suggests a potential electoral advantage for the BJP.
While the timing of the municipal elections remains uncertain, the shift to a multi-member ward structure aligns with the BJP’s electoral strategy. In the previous elections, the BJP secured 25 and 99 seats under the one and four-member ward structures, respectively, indicating the party’s strength in adapting to the altered system.
Beyond electoral mechanics, social demographics within the wards play a crucial role. With the expansion of the ward size to accommodate four corporators, the voter base also increases, potentially enhancing the chances of BJP candidates securing victories through strategic polarization of votes.
The adoption of the four-member ward system is expected to raise the total number of wards in the city by one or two. In the previous five-year elections, 164 corporators were elected from 41 wards, with 39 wards having four corporators each and two wards comprising three corporators. The inclusion of eleven villages into the municipal limits in October 2017 created an additional ward, resulting in the election of two corporators from this area.
As Pune recently saw the inclusion of 24 villages back into the PMC, administrative estimations suggest the creation of two additional wards for these villages based on geographical considerations. This move is expected to increase the number of corporators by three to four, expanding the corporation to encompass 42 wards and 166 corporators.
