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Ajit Pawar’s NCP to jointly fight Pune Municipal Corporation polls with Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP)

An office-bearer of the NCP’s Pune city unit said the pre-poll alliance has been finalised, with the NCP contesting 125 seats and the NCP(SP) to enter the fray in 40 seats.

3 min readDec 29, 2025 12:07 PM IST

At a joint press conference with NCP (SP) leaders in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Friday, Ajit Pawar was unsparing in his attack on the BJP rule in Pimpri-Chinchwad for five years and also three years under the administrator, which he said, was also under BJP. (File Photo)

Following a series of political realignments in recent days, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) joined hands to contest the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections in the Pawars’ home district.

“The deal between the NCP and NCP(SP) has been sealed for the Pune civic body polls. An official announcement in this regard will be made later in the day,” said an office-bearer of the NCP’s city unit.

Local leaders of both parties held a meeting with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar late last night. “The pre-poll alliance has been finalised, with the NCP contesting 125 seats, while the NCP(SP) will contest 40 seats,” he said.

Also Read | Both NCPs join hands in Pimpri, Sharad Pawar’s party dumps MVA

Alliance as per local party workers’ wishes: Rohit Pawar

NCP(SP) leader Rohit Pawar said, “The party has forged an alliance with the NCP for elections to the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic bodies. This alliance is limited to only two civic bodies and it is as per the wish of the local party workers and leaders.” On Sunday, Ajit had announced that his party would contest the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation polls with the NCP(SP).

The NCP(SP) will contest on its own symbol, Rohit said, adding, “The pre-poll alliance is meant to take on the powerful BJP. We will contest on our respective party symbols.”

Rohit ruled out the possibility of the parties merging after the election, stressing that the alliance is only in two civic bodies or otherwise it would have been across the state.

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Ajit had reached out to the NCP(SP) for a pre-poll alliance after the BJP declared that it would contest only in alliance with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena while keeping out its Mahayuti ally NCP.

Ajit had also reached out to the Congress for a pre-poll alliance. However, while the Congress refused to join hands with his party, the NCP(SP) still pursued the alliance as most local leaders were in favour of it. Refusing a tie-up with the NCP, Prashant Jagtap, who was the Pune city NCP(SP) chief, resigned from the post and joined the Congress on Friday.

Nevertheless, the NCP did not allot seats to the Sharad Pawar-led party as expected, forcing it to return to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. On Sunday, however, it held a meeting with Ajit to discuss reviving the alliance. The NCP(SP) eventually agreed to contest fewer seats but said that it would fight the polls on its symbol of ‘man blowing a trumpet’ as against the NCP’s demand of contesting on its ‘clock’ symbol.

The deadline to file nominations for the Pune civic body polls ends on Tuesday afternoon. The polling will take place on January 15, and the results will be declared on January 16.

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The undivided NCP was in power in the PMC from 2007 to 2017 but lost to the BJP in 2017 and became the main Opposition party in the civic body.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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