After BJP Snub, Ajit Pawar Camp Weighs NCP (SP) Alliance For Pune Civic Polls

Pune: After Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that there would be no alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) in the Pune Municipal Corporation elections, Ajit Pawar's NCP faction appears to be isolated. In this situation, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has reportedly instructed his party's local senior leaders to explore the possibility of forming an alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) to counter the BJP. This has created curiosity about whether the two NCP factions will reunite for the elections in Pune.

Fadnavis was in Pune on Monday for the inauguration of various development projects. As soon as the election code of conduct for the municipal corporation elections was implemented, he clarified that there would be no alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) in Pune. Ajit Pawar was also present at the event. The Chief Minister made this announcement while speaking to reporters. 

Immediately after this, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar summoned his party's local senior leaders to Baramati Hostel. Sources said that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar instructed the local leaders to explore the possibility of forming an alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) to challenge the BJP.

The office bearers and prospective candidates of Ajit Pawar's NCP faction were insistent on an alliance with the BJP in the municipal corporation elections. However, Ajit Pawar had already indicated to the office bearers that an alliance would not be possible. Therefore, some office bearers started exploring the possibility of forming an alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction).

After Prashant Jagtap, the city president of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), adopted an opposing stance, the issue of the two NCP factions uniting was temporarily put on hold. Now, after Fadnavis announced that there would be no alliance, Ajit Pawar's NCP faction appears to be isolated. Against this backdrop, it is reported that, following the instructions given by Ajit Pawar, efforts have once again begun to bring the two NCP factions together to contest the elections. 

The challenge of fielding 165 candidates

The Pune Municipal Corporation has 40 wards with four members each, and one ward will have five members. Of the 165 members, 83 seats will be reserved for women and 82 for men. There are 35,51,469 voters for this election. The challenge for Ajit Pawar's NCP will be to field 165 candidates in all these constituencies. 

In the last municipal election, the BJP won 97 out of 162 seats. The then Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) secured 39 seats, the then Shiv Sena 10, Congress 9, MNS 2, AIMIM one, and independents four. Ajit Pawar's NCP has 35 former corporators, some of whom are in contact with the BJP. Preventing them from joining the BJP is also a challenge faced by the party.