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The 2 NCPs to fight next phase of local elections in alliance
On Saturday, leaders of the two NCPs — one headed by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, and the other by party founder Sharad Pawar — discussed a joint strategy for the upcoming zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections
Pune: Less than 24 hours after a bruising defeat in Maharashtra’s municipal elections, leaders from the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) got into a huddle at their stronghold of Baramati to once again speak the language of unity.
On Saturday, leaders of the two NCPs — one headed by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, and the other by party founder Sharad Pawar — discussed a joint strategy for the upcoming zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections due next month.
This, many perceive, is the next step towards a formal reunion. The party had split in 2023 after Ajit Pawar walked out with two MPs and 40 legislators to join the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.
A day prior to the meeting at Baramati, both factions had performed dismally in the elections to 29 municipal corporations across the state, including in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, long considered Pawar strongholds. Not only did the two NCPs not win a single municipal corporation, in several places they did not even open an account. In Pune, the BJP won 120 of 165 seats. Of the remaining 45 seats, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP won 21 seats, while the Sharad Pawar faction secured just three. In Pimpri-Chinchwad, where they contested together, the BJP crossed the majority mark on its own, winning 84 seats in the 128-member civic body.
With the BJP resurgent across Maharashtra’s urban centres, winning the upcoming polls in semi-urban local bodies becomes imperative for the two parties to stay relevant in the time ahead. Shashikant Shinde, Maharashtra unit president of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), told HT the two parties have decided to jointly contest the elections to all 12 zilla parishads in the state.
Saturday’s meeting at Sharad Pawar’s residence at Baramati saw the top leadership of both parties in attendance. From NCP (SP) Supriya Sule, Jayant Patil, Amol Kolhe and Rohit Pawar were in attendance while NCP was represented by Ajit Pawar Dattatray Bharne.
Political observers say the verdict had exposed the limits of a divided Pawar voter base and underscored the costs of prolonged factionalism. “Urban voters did not reward symbolism,” said Chitra Lele, Professor, Political Science. “The Pimpri-Chinchwad alliance existed on paper, but the confusion on the ground helped the BJP consolidate.”
Ajit Pawar struck a measured tone in public after the polls, congratulating the BJP and hinting at introspection within his own party. “These civic polls were fought by the BJP under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and they have achieved significant success,” he told reporters on Saturday. “Voters are important, and every political party must continue its efforts. One should not get discouraged after a defeat.”
Supriya Sule, the national working president of the NCP (SP), echoed that calibrated note. Describing the zilla parishad elections as “workers’ elections,” she said Saturday’s discussions were focused on ensuring they nurtured an experienced leadership at the grassroots level.“As a family, we are together,” she said. “Politically, you have heard what Ajit Dada has said.”
The contrast between the municipal results and the urgency around the rural polls is telling. Zilla parishads and panchayat samitis remain the NCP’s traditional strength, especially in western Maharashtra’s sugar belt where cooperative networks and local leadership still matter more than urban narrative of governance and development.
Yet even here, party insiders concede that a divided Pawar house risks erosion of their equity. The municipal verdict — especially the failure of the alliance to transfer votes in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad — has sharpened the argument that survival may now demand more than tactical cooperation.
After splitting in 2023 amid a dramatic power struggle, both factions had insisted they could grow independently. This week’s municipal elections have shown differently.
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