First official move since Ajit Pawar’s death: Son Parth picks 3 NCP leaders to be PCMC coopted corporators
After Ajit Pawar's death on January 28 in a plane crash, the NCP rank and file in Pimpri-Chinchwad was in a fix vis-a-vis who would be shepherding the flock in the industrial city.
In his first move after the death of his father and NCP national president Ajit Pawar, son Parth Pawar has picked three party leaders from different backgrounds who will be the coopted corporators of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.
The three are former standing committee chairperson Seema Sawale, former corporator Rajendra Jagtap and former chairman of PCMC education committee Faisal Shaikh.
“The decision to pick the three leaders for coopted corporators has been solely taken by Parth Pawar. In his maiden move, he has tried to give justice to different sections of the society,” Yogesh Behl, president of Pimpri-Chinchwad NCP unit, told The Indian Express.
While Seema Sawale belongs to SC community, Faisal Shaikh is from minority Muslim community and Rajendra Jagtap is from Maratha community. “Parth has taken recourse to social engineering in Pimpri-Chinchwad. His first move has gone down well with NCP rank and file,” said an NCP leader.
Behl said Parth Pawar wanted to appoint strong leaders who would effective raise people’s voice in PCMC and outside. ”Parth said if the leaders can aggressively raise people’s voice in different fora but have lost by small margins of vote, they should be given a chance to again represent the people,” Behl said.
NCP leaders said Seema Sawale has been specially selected after her speech at an all-party condelence meeting in memory of Ajit Pawar went viral. Sawale was scathing in her attack on BJP MLA Mahesh Landge for allegedly trying to belittle the contribution of the Deputy Chief Minister to the development of Pimpri-Chinchwad during civic election campaigning.
Sawale had also rapped Landge for being disrespectful towards the Deputy Chief Minister. “Seema Sawale’s speech had gone viral in Maharashtra. NCP leaders praised her for reprimanded Landge for speaking against Ajit Pawar during the PCMC elections. It was but natural that Ajit Pawar’s family would nominate her as coopted corporator to represent the party in PCMC,” said political analyst Avinash Chilekar.
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Besides Sawale, Parth also reposed faith in long-time party loyalist Faisal Shaikh, who has risen from the ranks and had never left the party in the last 25 years. “I am the founder-member of the party in Pimpri-Chinchwad. I have been in the party since it came into being in 1999. I was initally ward president, then became general secretary and then Ajitdada appointed me as the chairman of the PCMC education committee in 2013,” Shaikh, who is currently the party’s working president, said.
Shaikh said Parth Pawar had called up that morning and told him to work relentlessly for the people including the minority committee. “Parth told me that we have realise the dream of Ajitdada to ensure all-round development of the city. He said we have to move ahead while taking care of the needs and aspirations of different communities,” Shaikh said.
Since NCP came into being in 1999, Parth’s father Ajit Pawar had been at the helm of the affairs of the PCMC. The NCP ruled PCMC single-handedly for 20 years until BJP dislodged it from power in 2017. The rapid pace of development which the industrial city witnessed in two decades had been credited to the efforts and initiatives of Ajit Pawar who as Deputy Chief Minister approved and implemented several development projects in the city.
After Ajit Pawar’s death on January 28 in a plane crash, the NCP rank and file in Pimpri-Chinchwad was in a fix vis-a-vis who would be shepherding the flock in the industrial city. ”With his decisive move, Parth has infused life in rank and file,” said an NCP leader.
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In all, PCMC will have 10 coopted corporators who are nominated ones and not elected one. The BJP which enjoys brute majority (84 corporators) can have 7 coopted corporators while NCP can have three as per its numbers (37) corporators. Party group leaders submit the names of the nominated members to the PCMC. The final decision is taken in civic general body meeting.
Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis.
Professional Legacy
Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles.
Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change.
Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities.
Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees.
Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area:
1. Political Shifts & Alliances
"Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala.
"BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls.
"Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections.
"NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections.
2. Civic & Administrative Accountability
"PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions.
"93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads.
3. Social & Labor Issues
"As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra.
"Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse.
Signature Beat
Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport.
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