Pune: Independent Candidate Pays Nomination Fee In Coins In Ward 26 For PMC Elections 2026, Video Goes Viral | Watch

Pune: As the 2026 Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) general elections approach and nomination filing continues, an unusual moment turned heads at the ward office on Monday in Pune’s Ghorpadi Peth. Ganesh Kiran Khanapure, an independent contender from Ward 26(D), which covers Ghorpadi Peth, Guruwar Peth, and Samata Bhumi, arrived to submit his nomination papers with bags of loose coins to pay the required fee.

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The PMC election process officially began on 23rd December, with nominations being accepted until 30th December (Tuesday), and polling scheduled for 15th January 2026. Despite thousands of nomination forms being sold across the city, only a handful of candidates have formally filed their papers by now, as many aspirants await party decisions before submitting their applications.

In Pune civic elections, candidates must complete several formalities to file their nomination papers, including submitting required documents such as affidavits and declarations, but the nomination fee itself is typically paid to the civic body as part of the process and must be in legal tender. (PMC rules allow nominal fees to be accepted in coins, although exact figures are set by the election department and treated as part of the submission process.)

Khanapure’s decision to bring bags of loose coins led officials at the nomination counter to spend considerable time counting the money. Since coin payments must be verified before being accepted, the officials began counting and spent hours doing it. While citizens are legally entitled to pay with coins if offered in acceptable denominations, the lengthy counting process slowed progress at the counter. This moment has drawn attention from other aspirants waiting to complete their formalities, and the moment is going viral on social media currently.

Khanapure told civic staff and later the media that he had been saving coins for years, specifically for this moment. He also said that this was his second attempt at contesting the PMC elections. He referenced financial challenges faced by grassroots aspirants and said he wanted to demonstrate his commitment to contesting despite limited resources. A viral video of the episode on social media captured the counting process and sparked widespread reactions online.

Many social media users compared the incident to a similar scene in the Marathi political satire ‘Gallit Gondhal Dillit Mujara’. In the movie, the protagonist named Narayan Wagh, played by famous Marathi actor Makarand Anaspure, similarly pays election fees in coins to delay proceedings. However, unlike in the movie, where the tactic was used strategically on the deadline day to slow down rival candidates, Khanapure’s act did not affect others’ ability to file. The nomination window remains open for one day more as of now.