Pune: Leaders across party lines in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation on Thursday evening claimed that around 54% voter turnout would favour their respective outfits, while the Opposition fired favouritism salvo at the State Election Commission.MP Murlidhar Mohol, the BJP in-charge for Pune, said a repeat of assembly polls was expected in Pune, when his party got a decisive majority. He said, “Considering the schemes and projects BJP successfully delivered in the past few years in Pune, I am confident that Puneites will vote in our favour. They showed their support in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls in 2024. In municipal corporation elections also, they will continue to be with BJP.“Mohol said BJP could get 120 to 125 seats in PMC. The party got 97 out of 162 seats in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) election. NCP (then united) got 39 seats, while Shiv Sena (SS) [then united] bagged 10 and Congress nine. MNS won two seats.Cut to 2025. Opposition leaders questioned the way elections were held. Rohit Pawar, state general secretary, NCP (SP), said, “Several questions are being raised over the functioning of the State Election Commission (SEC). No proper awareness programme was organised. Voters looked confused about their polling booths. SEC did not make any efforts to increase the turnout. All its steps were aimed at helping BJP.”Satej Patil, Congress in-charge for Pune, said “The SEC failed to rectify the electoral rolls. If the names of elected representatives are missing from the rolls, it shows the poor functioning of the commission.” Neelam Gorhe, Shiv Sena in-charge for Pune, said, “The wise voters know Shiv Sena has worked for the betterment of people and they will back us in the municipal corporation polls.” In Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), BJP and NCP are in a direct fight against each other. BJP claimed it would cross the 100-seat mark, while NCP said it was poised to win around 70.The PCMC has 128 seats across 32 wards. A party or an alliance will need at least 65 corporators to come to power. The corporation was long considered a stronghold of the NCP, particularly under the leadership of Ajit Pawar. The party ruled the civic body for nearly three decades before BJP wrested its control in 2017.BJP MLA Shankar Jagtap said, “We gave the slogan ‘Ab ki baar 100 paar’, and our assessment suggests that the polling went largely as per our expectations.”In contrast, NCP’s Ajit Gavhane said the voters’ sentiment was against BJP and residents were unhappy over unresolved civic issues.
