A closed-door meeting between leaders of the two Nationalist Congress Party factions was held late Thursday night at Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s Jijai Bungalow, signalling renewed political churn ahead of the upcoming civic elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
With elections due in 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, the contests are expected to be keenly fought, especially in traditional strongholds where alliance partners in the ruling dispensation may end up pitted against each other. Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, long seen as bastions of the Pawar family’s influence, are shaping up to be key battlegrounds.
After the announcement of the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation polls, it was indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Nationalist Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar would contest the elections independently.
However, political circles are abuzz with speculation that efforts are underway to bring together the Ajit Pawar faction and the NCP led by Sharad Pawar to retain control over these civic bodies.
Sources said the late-night meeting, attended by senior leaders from both factions, including MLA Rohit Pawar and MP Amol Kolhe, lasted for about an hour. Discussions reportedly centred on seat-sharing arrangements, particularly for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. A final decision is expected within the next two days, with the possibility of an alliance being formally announced soon.
This is said to be the first such meeting between the two sides since the party split involving several senior leaders. When the media asked about the meeting, Kolhe said, “Wait and watch.”
Reacting to the developments, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that any political formation coming together to defeat the BJP would be welcomed. “If both the NCP factions unite to defeat the BJP, they are welcome. Anyone coming together to defeat the BJP will be welcomed,” he said.
Meanwhile, sources indicated that beyond Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is considering contesting solo in several other municipal corporations, as seat-sharing talks within the ruling Mahayuti alliance have not progressed smoothly.
The nomination process for the civic polls has already begun and will conclude on December 30. So far, only Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have formally announced an alliance, while other parties continue deliberations to finalise their strategies and seat-sharing formulas.
