BJP and NCP to contest Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls separately in ‘friendly fight’
Devendra Fadnavis said the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP would try to seal seat-sharing arrangements in the maximum number of civic bodies. However, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad would be exceptions, given the relative strength of the BJP and NCP in these two urban centres.
Pune: The BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will contest the upcoming civic elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad separately, but in what chief minister Devendra Fadnavis described as a ‘friendly fight’, even as Mahayuti allies come together in most other municipal corporations across Maharashtra.
Speaking to reporters on Monday after the State Election Commission announced the long-pending civic poll schedule, Fadnavis said the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP would try to seal seat-sharing arrangements in the maximum number of civic bodies. However, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad would be exceptions, given the relative strength of the BJP and NCP in these two urban centres.
“Ajit Pawar and we cannot contest the elections together in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Both of us understand politics well enough to know that if we contest together, it benefits a third party, and we do not want to allow that to happen. We will contest against each other, but it will be a friendly fight,” Fadnavis said. The BJP was in power in both civic bodies between 2017 to 2022 with NCP being second largest party.
The chief minister said that while the Mahayuti alliance would remain intact, the nature of alliances would vary from city to city. “There will be a BJP–Shiv Sena alliance in most places. In some areas, BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP will contest together, while in a few others, BJP and NCP may also form an alliance. The Shiv Sena will remain part of the Mahayuti almost everywhere,” he said.
In Pune and neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad, however, an alliance between the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is unlikely. “Both are big parties in Pune and PCMC. The BJP has carried out significant development work in Pune over the last five years. Hence, in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the BJP and NCP may contest separately. It will be a friendly contest, without any bitterness,” Fadnavis said.
The elections, which will be held on January 15 with counting on January 16, will cover 29 municipal corporations, including cash-rich Mumbai. The announcement brings an end to the prolonged rule of administrators in urban local bodies, a situation Fadnavis said was contrary to democratic principles.
“We welcome this announcement. It was not prudent that civic bodies were run by administrators. Urban bodies were without local representatives for a long time due to court orders. Now that polls will be held, we are confident that people will give us an opportunity to work for the development of cities,” he said.
Fadnavis, who was speaking after inaugurating development projects worth around ₹3,000 crore, expressed confidence that the Mahayuti would secure a majority across municipal corporations. “Now that elections are being held, we are confident the Mahayuti will get a majority, considering the work done by our government. People will give us one more opportunity to work towards urban development,” he said.
On concerns raised by the Opposition over electoral rolls and pending court cases, Fadnavis said these could not be grounds to postpone the polls. He added that the Special Intensive Revision process would reduce discrepancies in voter lists and suggested that electoral rolls should eventually be placed on blockchain to eliminate such issues.
The announcement sets the stage for keenly watched contests in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, where the BJP has expanded its footprint over the past decade, challenging what was once an NCP stronghold under Ajit Pawar. While allies at the state level, the two parties are now preparing to test their relative strengths directly in Maharashtra’s most politically significant civic battlegrounds.
The BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP will contest Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic elections separately in a "friendly fight," as announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The elections, scheduled for January 15, follow a period of administrative rule in urban bodies. This marks a significant shift, with both parties testing their strengths in pivotal municipal battlegrounds.