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

MVA says Plan B already place, NCP(SP) exit good riddance.

3 min readUpdated: Dec 29, 2025 01:40 PM IST

Ajit Pawar said the alliance partners will withdraw the nomination of their candidates if there is more than one candidate for the same seat, so that there is no division of votes. (File Photo)

NCP chief Ajit Pawar on Sunday announced that his party will contest the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation polls with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP).

While launching the party’s election campaign at Talewade in Pimpri-Chinchwad today, Ajit Pawar said,”In Pimpri-Chinchwad, both the NCPs will contest the elections together. Our family is again coming together. This was in the minds of several people. For the all-round development of Maharashtra, we need to take certain steps.”

Stating that the seat-sharing talks are underway for Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pawar said, ”Wait for two days. You will come to know about it.”

The NCP’s rival in Pimpri-Chinchwad is BJP, which is its alliance partner at the state-level.

Pawar said their aim is to capture the PCMC. “All party workers and leaders should put in their best to win the PCMC elections. We have to restore the old glory of Pimpri-Chinchwad,” he said.

Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, however, said their Plan B was already in place and termed NCP (SP) exit as “good riddance”.

For the Pune Municipal Corporation polls, a day after their talks for an alliance collapsed, the NCP and NCP(SP) again started a dialogue on Sunday.

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When contacted, NCP (SP) spokesperson Ankush Kakade said, ”Our talks (with NCP) are underway. We will let you know who we are aligning with soon.”

While the two NCPs have come together for PCMC polls, in Pune city, MVA said the development vis-a-vis the exit of NCP (SP) from its fold has not rattled them as they were expecting something of this sort to come up.

“Leaders of NCP (SP) yesterday left mid-way through the meeting. Even today, they did not turn up for the seat-sharing discussion,” Sanjay More, president of the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Pune , told The Indian Express Sunday.

”We knew it was coming in view of their ongoing discussions between the two parties. It is not a setback for us. I think it is good that they left as more Congress and Sena aspirants will get to contest the elections. Even otherwise, the civic elections are meant for the ‘karyakartas,” More said.

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The Sena (UBT) said they are keen to take Raj Thackeray-led MNS with the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

”If the MVA is not ready to take MNS, we will then allot some of the seats given to us by MVA,” More said.

Besides MNS, More said they are also trying to accommodate Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi with whom the Congress has tied up with for the BMC polls. ”VBA and other smaller parties will also be part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi,” he said.

Congress spokesperson Ramesh Iyer said,”The MVA already has Plan B ready ….The Congress and Uddhav Sena will fight together by taking along VBA and other parties.”

Manoj Dattatrye More

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. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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