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Reunited for Pune civic polls: Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule to share political stage for first time since NCP split to launch joint manifesto

An NCP(SP) leader said party workers will come in full strength to campaign for candidates, and seek votes for alliance nominees in the Pune civic polls.

4 min readPuneUpdated: Jan 9, 2026 02:32 PM IST

pune civic polls: ajit pawar supriya sule

On Saturday, Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule will unveil the joint manifesto of both parties for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections. (File Photo)

After unexpectedly striking a pre-poll alliance for the Maharashtra civic polls, NCP chief Ajit Pawar and his cousin, NCP(SP) working president Supriya Sule, will appear together for the first time on a political stage after parting ways three years ago.

On Saturday, Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule will unveil the joint manifesto of both parties for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections.

“We can understand that the absence of NCP(SP) leaders in the election campaign was sending the wrong message among party workers and voters. Now, this will end as NCP chief Ajit Pawar, along with NCP(SP) working president Supriya Sule, will together unveil the alliance’s election manifesto. This is the first time that the two will be sharing the political stage after the party split a few years ago,” said local NCP executive chief Pradeep Deshmukh.

Deshmukh said NCP(SP)’s Amol Kolhe, NCP Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, who contested against Sule in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the Baramati constituency, as well as local leaders of both parties, will be present when the parties unveil their manifesto.

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Ajit Pawar had proposed a pre-poll alliance between the NCP and NCP(SP) after the BJP declared it would ally only with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, despite the three parties being in alliance at the state and national levels.

The delay in agreeing on seat sharing between the NCP and NCP(SP) kept everyone guessing whether they would forge an alliance, but they did so on the day of withdrawal of nomination forms.

The discussion on pre-poll alliance led to unrest within the NCP(SP) as its city unit chief quit the party in protest of the two parties coming together. NCP(SP) working president Sule had to rush to Pune to ease the situation, and assured party leaders that the alliance would happen only if the local unit was in favour of it.

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Sule announced she would lead the election campaign in Pune in case of the pre-poll alliance with the NCP, but had been missing since then.

‘In the interest of both NCP and NCP(SP)’

Meanwhile, Ajit took over the control of the alliance and has been campaigning for candidates of both NCPs, holding rallies and roadshows for them.

When pointed out that the NCP(SP) leadership, including Sule, was missing from the election campaign, Pawar said, “I would call her up and ask her when she would participate in the election campaign.”

He added that NCP (SP) MP Nilesh Lanke and Amol Kolhe have assured him that they will soon join the alliance’s election campaign.

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In the next few days, the party workers will come in full strength to campaign for candidates for each other’s political parties and seek votes for alliance candidates contesting on different symbols, said an NCP(SP) leader, adding it was decided that the two parties will forge an alliance, but their candidates will contest only on their respective party symbol and name.

“It was in the interest of both the NCP and NCP(SP) to come together to take on the BJP in PMC, which is eying a second consecutive term in the civic body. The division of votes would have benefited the BJP and had put both the NCP and NCP(SP) at a loss,” he said, adding the united NCP was the main Opposition party in the previous five-year term of the elected body of PMC.

On Thursday, NCP(SP) legislator Rohit Pawar said his party joined hands with the NCP because they share the same ideology and oppose the opposition.

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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