Pune Civic Polls: From Congress Stronghold to BJP Dominance; Battle for Power Heats Up

• Pune Municipal Corporation elections are finally underway, sparking intense political activity and candidate enthusiasm after years of delay.
• Historically a Congress stronghold, Pune's civic body saw power shift from Congress to NCP, and now to BJP, which secured an absolute majority in 2017.
• Congress's decline began with the 1999 NCP split and further weakened after Suresh Kalmadi's legal troubles sidelined him.
• The PMC was under administrator's rule for 3.5 years post-2017 term due to various delays, impacting former corporators' public connect.
• The upcoming elections are highly anticipated, with all major parties gearing up for a fierce contest to either retain or reclaim power.

Why It Matters: Pune's political landscape transformed from Congress dominance to BJP rule, setting the stage for a crucial civic election.