‘Verdict Of The People Is Supreme’: Maharashtra DCM Ajit Pawar On NCP’s Lacklustre Performance In Pune & Pimpri-Chinchwad Civic Polls

Pune: The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had joined hands with its rival faction, the NCP–Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP), ahead of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Elections 2026 in an attempt to put up a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had placed significant political prestige on the civic polls and spent nearly three weeks in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, campaigning aggressively across wards. However, when the results were declared on Friday, the NCP alliance faced a reality check as the BJP secured a comfortable majority in both civic bodies despite sustained efforts by the opposition.

Ajit Pawar’s response to the disappointing performance was keenly awaited. Finally breaking his silence, the deputy chief minister took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to react to the outcome.

Speaking on X, Ajit Pawar said, “The verdict of the people is supreme, and we accept it with full respect. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the winning candidates and wish them a successful tenure ahead.”

“I would like to state with conviction that in the local body elections where we did not achieve the expected success, we will continue to work with greater responsibility, honesty, and double the vigor to regain the trust of the people,” Pawar said after Friday’s results.

Further speaking on this issue, Pawar said, “I expect all the successful candidates to prioritise public issues in their respective municipal corporations and accelerate the pace of development and welfare works.”

“At the same time, I appeal to those who could not win not to be discouraged but to remain dedicated to serving the people. Keep the welfare of the public at the centre of your efforts, and let your goal be to work tirelessly for them," Ajit Pawar added.

Aggression Against Two Dadas & Anna

Ajit Pawar began his campaign in late December, when he first took a surprising and aggressive stance against two senior BJP leaders — state minister Chandrakant Patil and Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge. He accused both leaders of corruption, intimidation tactics, and alleged misuse of power, claiming that they were involved in wrongdoing.

He also strongly criticised Union Minister of State and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol, popularly known as “Anna”, accusing him of poor governance and allowing criminal elements to grow in Pune district. Ajit Pawar further alleged large-scale corruption by MLA Mahesh Landge and the BJP-led administration in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation during its tenure from 2017 to 2022.

However, at the time of writing this report, Ajit Pawar’s direct political confrontations with these three power centres in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad appear to have failed to yield electoral gains. Despite an intense and high-profile campaign, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP delivered a weak performance in both civic bodies.

In Pune, the BJP was leading in 91 seats, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP was ahead in only 14 seats. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP managed to lead in just three seats at the time of reporting. In Pimpri-Chinchwad, the BJP was leading in 84 seats, winning several of them, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP was leading in only 37 seats. Notably, the NCP–Sharadchandra Pawar faction had not secured a lead in any seat in Pimpri-Chinchwad as of the time of filing this report.