In a significant development ahead of the crucial municipal elections, the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray and the Indian National Congress officially announced an alliance in Pune on Monday, formalising their cooperation within the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The announcement, made by senior leaders Satej Patil of Congress and Sachin Ahir of Shiv Sena (UBT), sets the stage for a direct contest against the ruling Mahayuti coalition.
As per the initial arrangement for the 160-seat Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the Congress will contest 60 seats, while the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena will field candidates in 45 constituencies. Talks are ongoing regarding the allocation of the remaining 55 seats, with leaders indicating that a final, comprehensive seat-sharing agreement is expected in the coming days. This alliance aims to consolidate anti-BJP votes and present a united front in one of Maharashtra’s most politically significant urban bodies.
In a parallel and politically dramatic move, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced on Sunday an electoral alliance between his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)—which is part of the ruling Mahayuti—and the NCP faction led by his uncle, Sharad Pawar, which is a constituent of the MVA. This alliance is specific to the Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections.
Declaring the decision as a reunification of the "family," Ajit Pawar stated, "While finalising the list of candidates... both factions decided to contest the polls together... Because of this, the family will come together once again." He added that seat-sharing details would be announced soon. This localised pact between ideologically opposed factions—one aligned with the BJP-Shinde Sena government and the other with the opposition MVA—adds a complex layer to the state's political narrative, suggesting pragmatic considerations may be overriding broader coalition loyalties at the municipal level.
These alliances are being forged against the backdrop of the upcoming elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including the crown jewel, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Voting is scheduled for January 15, with vote counting on January 16.
The political landscape remains multifaceted: The Mahayuti (grand alliance) comprises the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) consists of the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP). The NCP factions' joint front in Pimpri-Chinchwad, however, temporarily blurs these clear-cut state-level divisions, highlighting the fluid and often locality-specific nature of civic politics.
The Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad pacts underscore the intense strategic calculations underway. For the MVA partners in Pune, unity is essential to avoid splitting the vote against a formidable BJP machinery. The NCP's cross-coalition arrangement in Pimpri-Chinchwad points towards a possible attempt to shield the Pawar family's traditional stronghold from external competition, even if it requires temporary and tactically awkward partnerships.
These pre-poll manoeuvres set the tone for what promises to be a fiercely contested series of urban local body elections, widely seen as a mid-term referendum on the state's political alliances and a critical test of strength ahead of the general elections. The outcomes will not only determine control of key municipal corporations but also significantly influence the political trajectory of Maharashtra.
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