Written by Ajay JadhavPune | January 14, 2026 02:55 PM IST 4 min readVoting will take place from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, followed by counting on January 16. (file)To ensure a good turnout for the civic polls and that every eligible citizen can exercise their right to vote in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), civic election officer and Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram Wednesday warned that action will be taken against all establishments, both government and private, that do not provide a holiday or at least a few hours of break for their employees to cast their votes on January 15.Voting will take place from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, followed by counting on January 16.“The Maharashtra government has already issued directions for holiday for establishments on polling day, and wherever it’s not possible, then the staff should be given a break of two to three hours in work,” said the municipal commissioner. He said that PMC voters, even if they are employees of establishments outside the civic body’s limits, should be given a holiday on voting day.“The management of all establishments should take all proper steps to strictly follow the state government instructions for enabling voting of all their employees. If we get complaints from voters that they were unable to vote as no holiday or break in working hours from their employer, then legal action would be taken against the establishment,” said the municipal commissioner.Also Read | ‘PMC polls to build leaders, not goons’: Devendra Fadnavis calls out Ajit Pawar for NCP’s candidate selectionThis applies to all establishments, including factories, shops, hotels, eateries, cinema halls, business and industrial units, shopping centres, malls, retail shops, and the IT industry, said the municipal commissioner.In exceptional situations, if the absence of employees will avoid major damage to public service, then the establishment should grant its employees a break of two to three hours, he said.Voters can register their complaints using the following contact information: toll-free number 1800-103-0222, or 020-2550-1490, or via email at complaint.election@punecorporation.org. A total of 30,100 staff members have been assigned to conduct the polling.Story continues below this adThe PMC has deployed 15 health teams, each equipped with an ambulance, assigned to each ward office. In total, 45 ambulances will be available to address health emergencies during polling day.For proper management of the election, decentralisation has been done with the distribution of election material, including EVMs, being done at 15 locations, one each for each municipal ward office. The collection of material after polling will be done at the same place and the counting of votes on January 16 will also take place in 15 different locations. The staff on election duty are taken to polling booths through civic vehicles.PMC polls: 165 corporators to be electedAs many as 165 corporators will be elected from 41 wards in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Each of the 40 wards will have four corporators elected, while one ward will have five corporators. The PMC is holding elections after nearly nine years, with the last term spanning from 2017 to 2022. The elections were postponed due to challenges in the Supreme Court regarding the reservation of seats.As many as 1,155 candidates are in the fray. The BJP is contesting independently on 165 seats. The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is in a pre-poll alliance with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) for the elections.Story continues below this adThe Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is also contesting independently, while the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has allied with the Congress and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is participating in the elections independently.Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd