Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday began one-on-one interviews with prospective candidates from 41 wards, indicating that his party is preparing to contest the civic polls independently in the city.
Pawar conducted the interviews at Baramati Hostel in Pune, where NCP leader Rupali Chakankar and both city party presidents were present.
Pradeep Deshmukh, NCP working president, said, “The response from aspirants was positive.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, are holding discussions to contest the elections together. And with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis having indicated that the BJP would not enter into an alliance with the NCP, a three-cornered contest is shaping up in Pune between the BJP, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction, and the Shiv Sena, headed by Uddhav Thackeray, have decided to contest the civic polls together under the MVA banner.
The PMC elections were last held in 2017. The five-year term of the civic body ended in February 2022, but polls were delayed due to litigation related to OBC reservation and ward delimitation. In May, the court directed that all pending local body elections be completed by January 31, 2026. The State Election Commission subsequently finalised ward delimitation and reservation draws and announced the election schedule after a gap of nearly eight years.
{{/usCountry}}The PMC elections were last held in 2017. The five-year term of the civic body ended in February 2022, but polls were delayed due to litigation related to OBC reservation and ward delimitation. In May, the court directed that all pending local body elections be completed by January 31, 2026. The State Election Commission subsequently finalised ward delimitation and reservation draws and announced the election schedule after a gap of nearly eight years.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP has claimed it can secure more than 120 seats in the PMC, but is expected to face stiff competition from both the NCP and the MVA in Pune.
Meanwhile, seat-sharing talks within the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance have also drawn attention. Former Congress MLA who joined Shiv Sena, Ravindra Dhangekar, said he would demand 165 seats for the Shiv Sena from Eknath Shinde, while the BJP is reportedly considering offering the Sena 35 to 40 seats. Dhangekar said the final decision would rest with Shinde and that he would submit a detailed report on the matter.