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Pimpri-Chinchwad: Six hours after polling began for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Elections 2026, voter turnout stood at 28.15% by 1.30 pm, according to election officials. A total of 4,82,537 voters had exercised their franchise across the city by early afternoon, with observers and residents describing the pace of voting as sluggish.
Of the total votes recorded by 1.30 pm, 2,71,282 were cast by male voters, while 2,11,249 women participated in the polling process. Six voters from other genders were also recorded during this period. With four hours of official polling time remaining, election authorities are closely monitoring voter participation and are hopeful of an increase during the latter half of the day.
Polling began at 7.30 am under tight security arrangements and administrative supervision. Earlier in the day, voter turnout stood at 6.56% by 9.30 am and rose to 16.03% by 11.30 am. However, despite a gradual rise in numbers, residents at several polling stations described the overall turnout as slower than expected compared to previous civic elections.
The PCMC elections are being held after a gap of nearly nine years, making them politically significant. The contest is primarily between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the unified Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The last municipal elections were conducted in 2017, when the BJP secured a majority. The elected council’s term ended in March 2022, following which the civic body has been under administrative rule.
Pimpri-Chinchwad has an electorate of 17,13,891 voters spread across 32 wards and 128 corporator seats. Election officials expect voter turnout to improve during the late afternoon and evening hours, especially as working professionals return from offices. Authorities have once again appealed to citizens to come out and vote, stressing the importance of public participation in strengthening the democratic process.
