The State Election Commission (SEC) allotted election symbols to candidates contesting the Pune Municipal Corporation elections on Saturday, marking the formal start of campaigning across the city.
Recognised political parties have been allotted their reserved symbols. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest on the lotus symbol, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on the clock, the Congress on the hand, the NCP–Sharad Chandra Pawar faction on the trumpet-playing man, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on the Mashaal (torch), and the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) on the bow and arrow. Other reserved symbols include the broom for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the railway engine for the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and the elephant for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
In this election, most candidates of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi have been allotted the gas cylinder symbol, while candidates of the Rashtriya Samaj Party have received the autorickshaw symbol.
Several other symbols have also been assigned to independent candidates, including umbrella, cupboard, candle, glasses, bat, sunflower, air conditioner, book, diamond, coconut, ring and whistle.
Soon after the symbol allotment, independent candidates began aggressively promoting themselves and their symbols, especially on social media. The city has witnessed a good number of independent candidates this time. In four-member wards, symbols of national and state party candidates appear at the top of the ballot, pushing independent candidates lower down the list. As a result, the independent candidates are making special efforts to ensure their symbols are easily recognised by voters.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has tightened monitoring of campaign expenditure, even as it has increased the permissible spending limit for candidates. Contestants will now be required to submit detailed expenditure reports supported by photographs, bills and a list of every campaign meeting held.
The directives issued by the Election Commission mention that the candidates must also provide a xerox copy of their bank account passbook along with the expenditure statement. Cash expenditure has been capped, with a minimum requirement that at least Rs 10,000 be accounted for, making it mandatory for every receipt to be submitted. As a result, candidates will have to ensure that all spending strictly remains within the prescribed limit.
After a gap of eight years, the expenditure ceiling for ‘A’ category municipal corporations, including the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), has been raised to Rs 15 lakh. For other categories, the limits have been fixed at Rs 13 lakh for ‘B’ class municipalities, Rs 11 lakh for ‘C’ class and Rs 9 lakh for ‘D’ class municipal councils.
With the PMC candidates now allowed to spend up to Rs 15 lakh, campaign activity is expected to intensify. However, party workers point out that the pressure to maximise outreach within the capped budget will lead to an increased workload and reduced financial support at the grassroots level, raising concerns about the practical impact of the new limits on campaign operations.
