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NCP storms back to power in Pune ZP, proves its supremacy in Panchayat Samiti poll

Party credits victory to Ajit's tireless effort

4 min readPuneFeb 9, 2026 10:37 PM IST

All the winners in Baramati taluka on Monday met Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and expressed their resolve to remain committed to the development of the taluka in future

The Nationalist Congress Party — whose national president Ajit Pawar died during the campaigning phase in a plane crash — on Monday stormed back to power in Pune zilla parishad, winning 51 out of the 73 seats which went to polls on Saturday. In the 2017 elections, the party had won 44 seats and this time, it has shown much improved performance.

Similarly, in the Panchayat Samiti elections in Pune district, NCP emerged as the largest party, bagging 78 seats out of the 146. The BJP was a distant second with 24 seats, followed by Shiv Sena which won 11. The Shiv Sena (UBT) secured 10 seats while the Congress could not open its account.

The NCP wasted no time in crediting the party’s success to the “tireless efforts” of Ajit Pawar who had gone all-out to prove NCP’s supremacy. “The results are a tribute to the work and tireless efforts of late Ajitdada Pawar,” said NCP state president Sunil Tatkare.

In Baramati, the hometown of Ajit Pawar, the NCP won 10 seats. It had left two seats to BJP which won them for the first time. The NCP won all six Zilla Parishad seats in Baramati.

Shivajirao Adhalrao-Patil, former MP, said, “The NCP had won 44 seats in the 2017 elections. This time, so far, the party has won more seats than in the past. In fact, the NCP has ruled Pune Zilla Parishad for two decades since 2004.”

Reacting to the NCP’s improved performance, Sambhaji Holkar, NCP Pune president, said, “This victory belongs to late Ajitdada Pawar. He had picked winning candidates, he had put in place a winning strategy and put in hard effort. He was keen and confident on NCP’s victory which has finally come true. Though it is a victory for NCP, it is a sad victory for us as we have lost our precious party president. The party will continue to walk in the path shown by him.”

Of the 73 ZP seats, while NCP claimed that it had won 51 seats, the BJP had to remain content with 10 seats.
In Baramati, the hometown of Ajit Pawar, the NCP won 10 panchayat samiti seats. It had left two seats to BJP which won them for the first time. The NCP won all six Zilla Parishad seats in Baramati.

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Similarly, in Maval taluka too, the NCP won all five ZP seats. In Daund taluka, of the seven ZP seats, NCP won 6 while BJP won one seat.

The NCP’s best performance came in Indapur taluka where it won all the 8 contested Zilla Parishad seats. The BJP which contested on all 8 seats drew a blank.

In Junnar taluka, of the 7 ZP seats, NCP won four seats while BJP won three seats.

The BJP had contested on 58 seats but could win only 10 Pune ZP seats. The Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena won five of the 38 seats it had contested, the NCP (SP) won one seat of the 8 it contested. The Congress drew a blank in all the 26 seats it contested. The Shiv Sena (UBT) which had contested on 26 seats managed to win 6 seats.

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All the winners in Baramati taluka on Monday met Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and expressed their resolve to remain committed to the development of the taluka in future. The newly elected members paid their respects by offering a floral wreath at the portrait of Ajit Pawar.

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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