Many ex-corporators may face off as reservation shuffle leaves only 33 open male seats

Former deputy mayor Aba Bagul, who earlier contested from the Other Backward Class (OBC) category in Sahakarnagar, has been affected by the new reservation pattern. The ward is now reserved for OBC women, forcing Bagul to contest from the open category.

Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had 41 wards before the recent reservation draw, although only 33 of them now have a single seat reserved for the open (general) male category — triggering unease among all political parties. The limited number of open seats has raised the likelihood of several former corporators contesting against each other, even within alliances.

Many ex-corporators may face off as reservation shuffle leaves only 33 open male seats

For instance, former deputy mayor Aba Bagul, who earlier contested from the Other Backward Class (OBC) category in Sahakarnagar, has been affected by the new reservation pattern. The ward is now reserved for OBC women, forcing Bagul to contest from the open category. However, the BJP has already fielded its sitting corporator Mahesh Wable in that seat.

A similar situation has emerged in Koregaon Park, where BJP’s sitting corporators Umesh Gaikwad and Bandu Gaikwad are likely to face each other since only one seat is now available in the open male category.

In Salisbury Park, the ward previously contested by leader of the house Shrinath Bhimale has now been reserved for OBC women. Bhimale has announced that he will contest from an open category ward instead.

Former corporator Avinash Bagwe, who earlier represented a Scheduled Caste (SC) male seat, also finds himself displaced after his ward was reserved for SC women. He has declared that he will now contest from an open category seat — likely leading to direct contests between sitting representatives.

With 33 wards offering only one open male seat each, many sitting male corporators are expected to explore options in these constituencies. Some may even consider switching parties to secure a ticket.

Several leaders, including Siddharth Dhende, Bagwe, and Bhimale have publicly stated their intention to contest from the open category since their traditional seats are now reserved for women.

In a few cases, sitting corporators are likely to field female family members from their reserved wards, choosing to stay away from the electoral fray themselves while retaining influence within their constituencies.