India, Jan. 11 -- With schemes such as Ladki Bahin proving electorally rewarding in recent assembly elections, political parties contesting the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) polls have made freebies a central plank of their manifestos, with a sharp focus on women voters, senior citizens, and small homeowners.

On Saturday, both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) released a joint manifesto, marking the first time Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule shared a political stage since the party split. The manifesto promised free travel for women on Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) buses and Metro services, waiver of property tax for houses up to 500 square feet, and other welfare-oriented measures aimed at easing the ...