Candidates and political parties can hold campaign rallies and public meetings at approved rates during the PMC election 2025–26 code of conduct period, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) announced. The civic body and traffic police are finalising venues, which will be released on Monday, December 22.

Roads, amenity spaces, open plots, playgrounds, and primary and secondary school grounds under PMC control can be used for rallies, corner meetings, and public gatherings. A list of available locations has been published on the PMC website. Municipal parks, however, will not be permitted for political meetings or for displaying flags, banners, or posters.

Candidates and parties must apply at the single-window system cell of the relevant ward office. Permission will be granted only after payment of the required fees, cleaning charges, and deposits, and upon meeting prescribed conditions, the PMC’s anti-encroachment department said.

For public meetings covering about 2,000 sq m, PMC will charge ₹9 per sq m, with licence fees around ₹18,000, cleaning charges of ₹2,000, and a deposit of ₹10,000. Corner meetings of about 800 sq m will cost ₹7,200, with ₹1,000 for cleaning and a ₹4,000 deposit. Rent for amenity spaces, open plots, playgrounds, and school grounds will be determined as per demand, with deposits set at 50% of the daily rent.

Somath Bankar, head of the PMC anti-encroachment department, said strict action will be taken against unauthorised rallies or violations of approved conditions. “No unauthorised structures, banners, or stages will be allowed on roads or footpaths. Violations will attract penalties and removal action. The traffic police have identified 40 places where permission can be granted,” he said.

Rallies without prior permission will attract a penalty of 1.5 times the licence fee, and failure to pay will result in action through the election officer. No-objection certificates from traffic and local police are mandatory. Digging roads or footpaths for stages is banned and will attract a fine of ₹2,000 per hole. All Election Commission rules and the model code of conduct will apply.