Ajit Pawar seeks alliance with Cong in Pune city, calls up Satej Patil

When contacted, Patil refused to comment on the issue. “I don’t want to comment about it,” he told this paper.

Sources in Congress said MPCC chief Harshavardhan Sapkal has asked Patil to take the call as to whether it was in the interest of the Congress to join hands with Pawar’s party at the local level.

Congress spokesperson Gopal Tiwari said, ”Any decision about this will be taken by our party leadership. This is because our party leadership has allowed us to tie up with Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP). However, any decision regarding any tie-up outside Maha Vikas Aghadi, we need a green signal from top leadership of the party. Ajit Pawar’s offer will be conveyed to the top party leadership.”

Tiwari said Congress rank and file will accept whatever decision top leadership takes. ”Locally we have been criticising Ajit Pawar’s party and other constituents of Mahayuti on various acts of ommission and commission. If Ajit Pawar’s party wants to come with us, then they will have to severe ties with Mahayuti.”

A Congress leader, who is keen for such an alliance, said, ”BJP and NCP have always been at odds in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. They never get along. The Congress should go in for an alliance at local level and cause further fissures in their ranks. We should adopt a clever political strategy. Currently, the Congress is down in both Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The chances of winning a few seats are getting bleak day by day. The Congress needs some kind of motivation. At least, the party should create some noise by having discussions with NCP.”

BJP ruled PMC from 2017-22. NCP is seeking to return to power. Ajit Pawar has been leading the party’s ”campaign” much before the State Election Commission announced the poll drive with an intention to capture power, said an NCP leader. Last week, BJP roped in a few former corporators of NCP which is also gearing up to hit back, sources said.

In Pimpri-Chinchwad too, the Congress has been down. In last two-three elections, not a single party corporator has been elected.

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Jolt to Cong in Pimpri-Chinchwad

Congress received a jolt in Pimpri-Chinchwad as its city unit president Kailas Kadam resigned at the crucial time of elections. When contacted, Kadam said there are certain reasons for his quitting. ”But I will speak at the appropriate time. My party leadership has not asked me to resign. I have done it on my own. I have slogged for the party in last four years and tried to rebuild it. I have done my best to revive the party in Pimpri-Chinchwad. I don’t to say anything more.”