Pune: The NCP has announced its nominees for the co-opted corporator posts in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), but the BJP is yet to finalise its candidates and has requested the civic administration to delay the election process by a month.BJP sources stated that the request for an extension follows an overwhelming number of applications. Under existing rules, the civic body appoints 10 co-opted corporators chosen from specialised sectors such as health, education, environment, social work, and women and child welfare etc. Based on current party strength in the house, the BJP is eligible to nominate seven members, while the NCP can nominate three.Prashant Shitole, the BJP corporator and leader of the House in the PCMC, told TOI that approximately 150 to 200 aspirants have approached the party for nomination. He confirmed that the party has requested the civic administration to reschedule the election process to the next general body meeting, rather than the one currently slated for March 13.“We have shortlisted around 40 names and forwarded them to the state leadership for final approval,” Shitole said. He added that the party is considering a rotation policy — nominating seven members for the first 2.5 years and another seven for the remainder of the term — to accommodate more aspirants.Municipal secretary Mukesh Kolap confirmed the BJP’s request for additional time. “A final decision will be taken after a meeting with municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar,” Kolap said. He noted that while there is no fixed statutory deadline, co-opted members are traditionally elected during the second general body meeting of a newly elected house.Meanwhile, the NCP finalised its three nominees on Wednesday: former standing committee chairperson Seema Sawale, city working president Fazal Shaikh, and former corporator Rajendra Jagtap. Party sources indicated that Parth Pawar personally finalised the list to ensure representation across different communities.The nomination of Fazal Shaikh is being viewed as a move to address criticism the NCP faced during the civic polls for not fielding a Muslim candidate. According to municipal rules, while co-opted members can participate in debates and raise issues during general body meetings, they do not have the right to vote.
