The ‘Pawars’ of Maharashtra are coming together, at least for now, as they both eye significant victory in the crucial BMC polls the next month. In Deputy CMAjit Pawar’s words, “Parivar is coming together”. After finalising talks for the Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar have now decided to join hands for the Pune civic polls. It is one of 29 corporations along with Rs 74000 crore-Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, where elections will take place for the first time after 2017-18.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) [NCP-SP] MLA Rohit Pawar announced that the two NCPs, which split after Ajit Pawar joined the ruling Mahayuti block in 2023, and was made the Deputy CM, will contest the polls together, but on their respective symbols. This is what the workers want, Rohit Pawar further said, reported ANI.
But the reunion has another reason to happen – both NCP were left alone by their respective alliances.
Parties, alliances and seat-sharing
The Mahayuti on Monday finalised its seat-sharing formula, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contesting 137 seats and Shiv Sena on 90 seats. Mumbai BJP president Ameet Bhaskar Satam made the announcement and said the finalised arrangement will participate in joint campaigning in the coming days.
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Earlier, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal announced that the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) will contest 62 of the 227 seats under the alliance in the BMC elections. Nationalist Congress Party (SP) on Monday also released its list of candidates for the upcoming BMC poll, with candidates for seven wards across Mumbai.
Ajit Pawar-led NCP announced its second list of 27 candidates, a day after the party released its first list of 37 candidates. The Thackeray brothers – Uddhav and Raj – have also joined hands ahead of the BMC polls, reigniting the issue of “son of the soil”.
Why NCP factions are coming together
The civic polls are fought on ground issues where alliances are not formed the way it is done for assembly or parliamentary elections. This would be the first BMC elections since the split of Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra. However, the NCP is somewhat facing a lone battle in the whole scenario.
The Mahayuti has finalised its seat-sharing talks with the BJP to contest on 137 seats and Eknath Shinde-Shiv Sena on 90. Ajit Pawar’s NCP, which has a Muslim and Dalit voter base, has decided to go alone. Reportedly BJP fears that fighting with the NCP would damage their Hindu voter base.
In the opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a reunion of Thackeray brothers has become a trouble. Neither Congress, nor NCP-SP is ready to join hands with Raj Thackeray and his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). So, Congress announced to go solo, leaving NCP-SP on its own.
With nowhere to go, and after consulting party workers, the Pawars have set aside their differences.
Sharad Pawar not part of decision
The decision to fight Pune civic polls together was not taken by Sharad Pawar, his party MLA Rohit Pawar told the media. He said that party MP Supriya Sule held a meeting with party workers in Pune.
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“After speaking with all the party workers, Supriya Sule herself also interacted with the workers from Pune. Subsequently, discussions were held with workers from Pimpri-Chinchwad. This is a fight of the workers and their election. Therefore, after listening to their views and understanding their concerns, it was decided that both NCP factions will contest the polls together in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. However, both parties will contest on their respective symbols,” he added.
“This decision has been taken only for Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, and that too after listening to the local workers and with their consent. Pawar Saheb is not involved in this entire decision-making process. Such senior leaders have never directly participated in municipal corporation elections. He only said that the views of those who fought for us should be heard and understood, and that decisions should be taken in accordance with what the workers decide. Therefore, this alliance has been formed in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad,” he further said.
On Sunday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced an alliance with NCP-SP for the upcoming civic polls in Pimpri-Chinchwad, terming it a moment of “family unity.”
Addressing an election campaign rally in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pawar made the announcement. As for the high-profile BMC elections, the NCP has decided to go solo and has announced a list of 37 candidates.
Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad will hold municipal elections alongside 27 other civic bodies in Maharashtra on January 15, 2026. The results for the civic polls will be announced on January 16. |
