Pune Mayor will not inaugurate this year’s Ganesh Visarjan procession or welcome Ganesh mandals because the model code of conduct for the Teacher and Graduate Constituency elections is in force, according to a report by Loksatta – Pune. The procession will instead begin under the supervision of the Pune Municipal Corporation administration, with the municipal commissioner performing the ceremonial duties.
The annual procession traditionally begins at Mahatma Phule Mandai, where the mayor and the guardian minister attend a ceremony to garland the statue of Lokmanya Tilak. The mayor, who is regarded as the city’s first citizen, has traditionally received the honour of starting the procession and welcoming participating Ganesh mandals.
This year’s decision comes after Pune’s elected municipal leadership returned following a four-year period in which the corporation was governed by an administrator. During that period, the state government appointed the municipal commissioner as administrator and transferred the corporation’s decision-making responsibilities to the administration. The commissioner consequently performed the ceremonial role associated with the procession.
Municipal elections were subsequently held, and elected representatives took charge in February, according to the report. The mayor, deputy mayor, Leader of the Opposition, House Leader, Standing Committee chairperson and heads of various committees were appointed after the elections. The return of an elected civic body had created an expectation that the mayor would regain the traditional honour during this year’s procession.
That expectation has been overturned by the election conduct rules governing the Teacher and Graduate Constituency elections. Loksatta – Pune reported that the restrictions prevent the mayor from inaugurating the procession and welcoming the mandals, even though the Pune Municipal Corporation’s elected house is now functioning again.
The decision illustrates how the ceremonial role of elected municipal representatives can remain subject to wider election administration rules. The code of conduct applies to the ongoing electoral process, while the Ganesh Visarjan procession is a major public event in Pune’s civic calendar. The report does not provide details of any separate restrictions on the procession’s routes, timings, crowd management or arrangements for public safety.
Pune’s immersion procession has a long-established public and cultural significance and draws visitors from different parts of India as well as devotees from abroad. The procession involves the city’s prominent Ganesh mandals and is one of the most visible occasions on which the municipal administration and elected representatives appear in a public civic role.
The municipal commissioner will conduct the customary aarti of the prominent Ganesh idols before the procession begins. The commissioner’s office will therefore again perform the ceremonial function that it handled during the four years when Pune’s municipal administration was under administrator rule.
