BJP Sweeps Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Civic Polls: NCP Alliance Fails to Regain Ground
The BJP has emerged victorious in the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation elections, securing a two-thirds majority in both civic bodies. This landslide win comes 14 months after the Mahayuti government was re-elected to office, with Devendra Fadnavis leading the BJP to stunning victories in both regions.
In the 165-member Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the BJP won 116 seats, while the NCP secured victory in 21 seats and the Congress won 15 seats. Sharad Pawar’s NCP (Sharad Pawar) won just three seats, and the Shiv Sena UBT won one seat. The counting for the remaining seats was still ongoing at the time of the announcement. In Pimpri Chinchwad, the second municipal corporation in the Pune metropolitan region, the BJP retained its dominance by winning 84 seats, compared to the NCP’s 37 seats. The Shiv Sena won six seats, and an Independent candidate won one seat. The NCP (Sharad Pawar) did not win any seats.
The NCP-NCP (Sharad Pawar) alliance’s loss has significantly reduced the political influence of Ajit Pawar and his uncle, veteran politician Sharad Pawar, in both cities. Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister and NCP chief, acknowledged the people’s mandate and expressed his commitment to working with greater responsibility and honesty to regain their trust. He stated, “While we could not achieve the expected success, I want to assure people that we will work with greater responsibility, honesty, and double the vigour to regain their trust.”
An upbeat BJP claimed that residents of Pune voted in favour of development. Union minister of state and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol, who was the election in-charge for the BJP in Pune, said, “The results make it clear that the voters once again have shown faith in the BJP, as they know ours is the only party which works for development.”
During the campaign, the BJP focused on a development plank and avoided personal attacks. Mohol emphasized that the party would ensure the promises made in their manifesto are delivered. When the municipal corporation polls were announced a month ago, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that the BJP would form an alliance with the Shiv Sena and have friendly fights with Ajit Pawar’s NCP in both the PMC and PCMC. However, the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance did not materialize in either of the civic bodies.
Ajit Pawar took the lead and managed to convince the other NCP group to ally in both civic bodies. The elections between the BJP and the NCPs were hotly contested. Ajit Pawar took on the local BJP leadership and leveled charges of corruption against them in both the PMC and PCMC while campaigning in Pune. Fadnavis, during his rallies in Pune, avoided responding to his deputy’s comments, but other BJP functionaries, including state chief Ravindra Chavan and MLA Mahesh Landge, criticized Pawar’s statements. The BJP also reminded Ajit Pawar about the allegations against him in an irrigation scam case.
Other political parties, including the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), failed to exploit the political space amid the war of words between the NCPs and the BJP in Pune. The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) joined hands, while Uddhav Thackeray's party shared the seats with the MNS from its quota in the PMC and PCMC. However, the opposition's alliance failed to make any significant impact throughout the election process.
Mohan Joshi, Congress’s state vice president, criticized the election, stating, “It was match-fixing between the BJP and the NCP in Pune. They tried to occupy political space by making allegations against each other. The BJP misused its position in government to restructure wards as per its convenience.” Despite these allegations, the BJP’s focus on development and governance appears to have resonated more strongly with the voters, leading to their decisive victory in both civic bodies.
