After Pimpri Chinchwad, rival NCP factions led by Ajit and Sharad Pawar unite for Pune civic polls

Pune, Dec 29 (PTI) The NCP and NCP (SP), headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his uncle Sharad Pawar, sealed an alliance for the upcoming elections to the Pune Municipal Corporation on Monday, a day before the deadline for filing nominations ends. The fresh tie-up was announced a day after the NCP, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), a member of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, finalised an alliance for the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections in Pune district.

"After NCP (SP) Pune unit chief Prashant Jagtap's exit from the party, several workers approached the party working president Supriya Sule and requested the need for joining hands with NCP.

"A decision on the alliance has been taken considering the sentiments of local party workers," said NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Monday.

The alliances have been forged to ensure that the election battle becomes easier for both factions, he said, adding that for now, the parties will fight the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls together.

Elections to 29 civic bodies in Maharashtra will be held on January 15. The counting of votes will take place the next day. The last date for filing nominations is December 30.

Rohit Pawar clarified that NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar was not involved in the decision related to finalising the alliance.

"However, he believes that party workers are important and their views matter for the civic polls," said the NCP (SP) general secretary.

A seat-sharing formula has also been decided, he said, without elaborating further.

The Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations are politically crucial for the Pawar clan, given that several IT and industrial units are located in the jurisdictions of the two civic bodies. The area has remained a bastion of the Pawars for decades.

With the rival NCP factions coming together in two municipal bodies after a bitter 2023 split that saw Ajit Pawar joining the BJP-led NDA government with loyalist MLAs, the battle lines are drawn tentatively between the BJP-Shiv Sena and the two NCP factions.

The BJP and Sena, headed by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, have not yet announced a formal decision to join hands in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad.

Party insiders said discussions are underway to sort out the differences over a few seats between the two saffron members.

Parleys are also underway between the Congress and its ally in MVA, the Shiv Sena (UBT). It is not yet clear whether the two parties will contest separately or as part of the opposition combine in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad.

A total of 165 corporator seats are up for grabs in Pune and 128 in Pimpri Chinchwad.

The BJP was in power in both civic bodies from 2017 to 2022. The civic polls had been run by administrators since 2022.

On Sunday, Ajit Pawar announced an alliance between the NCP factions for the Pimpri Chinchwad civic body.

"For the sake of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections, the 'clock' and the 'tutari' (trumpet) have united. The parivar has come together," he had said.

He urged party workers to work hard and refrain from making any controversial comments during rallies.

"We are the ones who work for development. We will edge out those who tried to put this municipal corporation in debt," he said. PTI SPK ARU NSK