Congress To Finalise Pune Civic Poll Candidates On December 25

With the municipal corporation elections approaching, political alignments in the state are becoming clearer. The Mahayuti has already decided that the BJP and Shiv Sena will contest the elections together, while they will have a "friendly fight" with Ajit Pawar-led NCP in some places. Meanwhile, discussions within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are ongoing, and an official announcement is expected soon.

The Congress party’s list of candidates is expected to be sent to senior leaders shortly. A crucial meeting of senior Congress leaders will be held in Mumbai on December 25, during which the party’s candidates are likely to be finalised. This information was shared by Pune City Congress president Arvind Shinde.

Shinde said that meetings of the Maha Vikas Aghadi have been taking place continuously over the past two to four days in connection with the civic elections. He added that an announcement regarding the MVA’s strategy for the upcoming elections would be made soon.

Speaking further, Shinde said, “We are holding daily meetings of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. No final formula has been decided yet. However, in the first meeting, it was decided that whichever party is allotted a seat, no other alliance partner will issue a form against that candidate. It has also been agreed that this alliance will continue even after the elections. Our Parliamentary Board meeting will be held on December 25, and once approval is granted, the candidates will be announced.”

Former MLA Ramesh Bagwe said that the Congress has identified strong candidates in every ward. “We have nearly 90 capable candidates who have the ability to win and who have worked loyally for the Congress party. Such candidates will be given tickets,” he said.

On the possibility of an understanding with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Bagwe clarified that no decision has been taken yet. “While we are contesting as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, discussions are ongoing with all three parties,” he added.