Pawar Reunion Ahead Of Civic Polls: Ajit, Sharad Join Forces For Pimpri-Chinchwad Battle

Addressing a campaign rally, Ajit Pawar said the two factions had come together specifically for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation polls.

Ajit Pawar urged party workers to avoid controversies and focus on governance and development.

Source : PTI

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has announced an electoral alliance between his Nationalist Congress Party and the Nationalist Congress Party led by his uncle Sharad Pawar for the upcoming Pimpri-Chinchwad civic elections, marking a reunion more than two years after the party split.

Addressing a campaign rally, Ajit Pawar said the two factions had come together specifically for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation polls. “For Pimpri-Chinchwad, the ‘clock’ and the ‘tutari’ have united. The family has come together,” he said, referring to the election symbols of the two factions.

Symbols, Split and Political Context

Following the 2023 split, when Ajit Pawar aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Election Commission allotted the ‘clock’ symbol to his faction, while Sharad Pawar’s group adopted the ‘tutari’ (trumpet). Sharad Pawar’s faction has since been part of the Opposition alliance at the state and national levels.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body, one of Maharashtra’s richest after Mumbai, has been under the control of the undivided NCP since 2017.

Campaign Message: Focus On Development

Ajit Pawar urged party workers to avoid controversies and focus on governance and development. “We are the ones who work for development. We will defeat those who tried to push this municipal corporation into debt,” he said.

Calls for reconciliation between the Pawars gained momentum after the BJP-led Mahayuti’s sweeping victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections last year.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad tie-up comes amid reports that talks between the two NCP factions on contesting the Pune civic polls together had hit a roadblock, with Sharad Pawar’s camp resuming seat-sharing discussions with allies.

Elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune, are scheduled for January 15, with counting the next day. The last date for filing nominations is December 30.

Political Reactions Pour In

Reactions to the reunion were mixed across parties. BJP leader Navneet Rana welcomed the move and expressed hope that Sharad Pawar might eventually join the NDA. Leaders from Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction also hailed the alliance as a step that would strengthen the party.

However, leaders from the Shiv Sena dismissed the reunion as “surname politics,” arguing that voters would back performance, not family ties. Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC echoed the sentiment, saying power-driven alliances would not sway the electorate.

As campaigning intensifies, the Pawar reunion has added a fresh twist to Maharashtra’s high-stakes civic contests.