With an absolute majority in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), the BJP is tasked with selecting the next mayor of the industrial city from the Open category. The city area is divided into three Assembly constituencies – Pimpri, Chinchwad and Bhosari – which are seen as a basis for a balancing act to give representation to each area.
The Bharatiya Janata Party won 84 of the 128 seats in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), retaining control of the civic body it has ruled since 2017. While 43 BJP corporators, including 22 women, were elected in the Open category, corporators from the reserved categories (24 from OBC, 15 from SC and two from ST) are also eligible to contest for the post of mayor if they wish. reserved for the Open category.
“The BJP first came to power in the PCMC in 2017, and since then it has been strengthening its base in the erstwhile NCP bastion. In its term from 2017 to 2022, the BJP decided to appoint a corporator elected from Bhosari area as mayor and then during the second half of the term, a mayor from Chinchwad area was elected,” said a BJP leader.
In the first half of its five-year term, the BJP made Rahul Jadhav and Nitin Kalje mayors for one year and three months, respectively. Both were elected to PCMC from Bhosari Assembly constituency, represented by BJP MLA Mahesh Landge. In the second half of the term, the party appointed Usha Dhore from Chinchwad Assembly constituency as PCMC mayor.
“BJP got Bhosari and Chinchwad corporators elected PCMC mayors in the previous term. Therefore, the expectation is that he will now be elected mayor of Pimpri Assembly constituency,” he said.
PCMC is one of the fastest growing cities in Maharashtra due to the growth of industrial and IT sectors in its area. It is known for its wide roads and is well connected through the Pune metro, local trains, PMPML and state transport bus station. It is adjoined to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and separated by a river, but thousands of citizens of both municipal corporations commute back and forth between the two civic body areas to meet their daily needs, including employment and education.
NCP chief Ajit Pawar held power over the PCMC for a long time but was ousted by the BJP in 2017. In the recently held civic polls, the main power struggle was between the BJP and the NCP, both allies at the state and national levels.