Pimpri-Chinchwad: In a shocking update, the ongoing alliance talks between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections collapsed with only two-and-a-half hours remaining before the deadline for filing nomination papers. As a result, there was a last-minute scramble among Shinde Sena candidates to file their nominations. The BJP will now contest the elections in alliance with the Republican Party of India (Athawale faction).
BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are a part of the Mahayuti alliance, and they are allies in the centre and rule the Maharashtra State Government together. Despite this, there have been disagreements in the Mahayuti alliance in Pimpri-Chinchwad. The problems began when the announced ‘friendly contest’ of the BJP and NCP stopped being friendly, and both sides started taking extreme measures.
The cracks increased on Tuesday; merely a couple of hours before the nomination deadline, Shiv Sena Maval MP Shrirang Barne announced in a press conference that the alliance had collapsed in the city.
‘We Demanded 10 Seats; Decision Made At 11th Hour’
Negotiations had been underway for the three parties of the BJP, Shinde Sena, and RPI to fight the municipal elections together as part of the Mahayuti. Shiv Sena had initially demanded 29 seats from the BJP. In the first meeting, discussions centred on 16 seats, which were later reduced to 13. In the final meeting on Monday, they demanded 10 seats. However, no positive outcome was reached.
The BJP informed them that their aspirants had already filed their applications. Sources indicated that the deadlock over seats in Ward Nos. 23 and 24 eventually led to the breakdown of the alliance. The BJP has allocated five seats to the RPI, and those candidates will contest under the Lotus symbol.
Speaking to the reporters at the press conference, MP Shrirang Barne stated, “The Shiv Sena and BJP have a traditional alliance. Therefore, I took the initiative to ensure an alliance for the PCMC elections. I contacted the BJP’s city president and MLAs. A series of meetings was held consistently. We had demanded 29 seats. Discussions went from 16 to 13 seats. In the final meeting on Tuesday, we asked for 10.”
MP Barne added, “However, the talks were not successful. I was in contact with Chinchwad MLA Shankar Jagtap until the afternoon, but he mentioned that their party workers were not willing to concede. As a result, the decision was made at the 11th hour. I feel bad that the alliance broke. In 2017, too, both parties fought independently at the last minute, but it did not lead to bitterness in our relations. We have decided to contest on our own strength. We will not engage in criticism, resentment, or allegations.”
Barne also said, “This entire sequence of events unfolded just an hour ago.” (He spoke at around 1.30 pm). "It became clear at 12:30 PM that the alliance had broken. Due to this, fewer nomination forms were filed. Our friendly relations with the BJP will remain intact. Elections come and go. The BJP and Shiv Sena are together at the Centre and in the State, so our cordial relations will continue.”
“Senior BJP leaders cooperated to make the alliance happen, but a consensus could not be reached at the local level. This is why this happened. It is every party’s duty to provide justice to its workers. We are contesting on our own strength due to the insistence of our party workers,” MP Srirang Barne further clarified.
