Pimpri-Chinchwad: With both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) planning and discussing the possible reunion in their fort Pimpri-Chinchwad for the upcoming Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, equations within Mahayuti are turning sour, say political experts in the city. From the start, local office bearers from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP have asserted that they will fight the PCMC elections independently, although the high command hinted at an alliance across the state.
Reports started surfacing about the NCP and NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) reunion in the city. Ajit Pawar-led NCP's Pimpri-Chinchwad City President, Yogesh Behl, also confirmed it, saying the discussions are ongoing regarding this. “If we continue to fight, the advantage will be with the opposition,” Behl noted while announcing the party's working committee for the PCMC elections on Monday.
BJP, NCP, and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are running the state government as the Mahayuti alliance, while NCP-SP has been the opposition party. This has been the state since July 2023, when Ajit Pawar rebelled against his uncle, former Union Minister Sharad Pawar, to become a Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister in the Mahayuti government.
Discussions at the senior level have begun for this unity between the NCP factions. NCP-SP Baramati MP Supriya Sule has also proposed bringing both groups together while speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday. It is believed that a meeting and discussion between both factions on this issue will happen soon.
The Ajit Pawar-led NCP is openly proposing the reunion, as city president Yogesh Behl signalled this by calling Sharad Pawar "our place of reverence" and Ajit Pawar "our source of inspiration". On the other hand, the Sharad Pawar faction city president Tushar Kamthe adopted a positive stance by welcoming the unity of like-minded parties against the BJP. Following this, the political atmosphere in the city has completely heated up.
BJP Problems Increase?
Pimpri-Chinchwad was once considered the stronghold of the undivided NCP. From 2002 until 2017, under the leadership of Ajit Pawar, the NCP carried out many development works here and maintained unchallenged power in the PCMC for fifteen consecutive years. However, after the change of power in the state in 2014, the BJP, using new ward formation and organisational strategy, won the 2017 election. At that time, the BJP won 77 seats, while the NCP had to settle for 36 seats and sit in the opposition.
The NCP lost by very small margins in many wards. Now, learning from that defeat, local workers have initiated efforts to unite the two factions. Although united in the state, the local NCP wants its old fort back from the BJP. Also, the local office bearers of both parties have beefs, as evident from media reports during the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly Elections of 2024.
NCP Urges Ex to Return; Current Ally BJP Says It Doesn’t Matter
Yogesh Behl, Pimpri-Chinchwad City President of the NCP, said, "The BJP is benefiting the most from the split between us. If both factions come together, we will be happy. We have already decided not to form an alliance with the BJP but to contest the elections on our own strength. If the Sharad Pawar faction joins us, it will be an auspicious sign for the city's development. Looking at the BJP's performance over the last nine years, the city now needs new leadership for sustainable development. Our goal is to bring an NCP mayor to the city."
Tushar Kamthe, city president of the NCP-SP, said, "If all parties with a common ideology unite to defeat the BJP, it is welcome. Whatever decision the senior leaders take regarding the unity of the two NCP factions, we will stand by it."
BJP's Chinchwad MLA Shankar Jagtap said, “Even if two factions of NCP come together, it won't matter to BJP. Our workers are more than efficient to handle this and are also ready for it. BJP is ready to contest all 128 seats in the city and get in power in PCMC.”
