The Bharatiya Janata Party has issued show-cause notices to 96 of its 126 Pune Municipal Corporation councillors over their absence from programmes attended by state party president Ravindra Chavan, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is scheduled to question Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad councillors at a joint meeting on October 14.
According to a report by Sakal – Pune, the notices were issued after most councillors failed to attend the launch of the campaign for the BJP’s candidates for the Pune Graduate and Pune Teachers constituencies of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Some councillors reportedly attended the programme but left soon after it began.
The action has brought attendance and participation by elected representatives under scrutiny within the party’s local organisation. Ganesh Bidkar, the party’s house leader, issued notices to 96 of the 126 councillors. Those who do not respond could face suspension or other disciplinary action by the party’s disciplinary committee, the report said.
The notices come ahead of a joint meeting that Fadnavis will hold with councillors from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad at a hotel in Bavdhan. The meeting is being convened to review preparations for the Graduate and Teachers constituency elections, for which voting is scheduled in 10 days, according to the report.
The BJP is contesting both seats. Dr Smita Jadhav is its candidate for the Pune Graduate constituency, while Kaustubh Gawade is contesting the Teachers constituency. The party has assigned campaign responsibilities to the chief minister, state party president, ministers, legislators, Members of Parliament and other organisational office-bearers.
The review will focus particularly on voter registration. More than 88,000 graduate voters are registered in Pune district, but registration in Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad has reportedly remained below the party’s expectations. Councillors had repeatedly been asked to help register voters, but several allegedly did not treat the election as a priority.
At the meeting, councillors have been asked to bring details of the number of voters they helped register. They have also been instructed to classify voters into three groups: those expected to support the BJP, undecided voters and voters who may oppose the party. Fadnavis and Chavan may question individual councillors about the work they have carried out for the election, the report said.
The episode highlights the organisational role expected of municipal councillors beyond their formal work in civic institutions. In this case, the party’s disciplinary notices and the chief minister’s planned review have placed attendance, mobilisation and voter registration at the centre of internal accountability.
After the councillors’ meeting, Fadnavis is also scheduled to interact with voters from different sectors, according to the report.
