BJP, Shiv Sena to contest against each other in Pune after talks fail

Both parties had submitted the AB form to their candidates, but could not finalise an alliance before the nomination withdrawal deadline

Negotiations between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have collapsed, with both parties deciding to contest the Pune Municipal Corporation elections separately.

The BJP reportedly offered only 15 seats to Shiv Sena, while the Sena demanded a larger share. (HT)

Both parties had submitted the AB form to their candidates, but could not finalise an alliance before the nomination withdrawal deadline. The BJP reportedly offered only 15 seats to Shiv Sena, while the Sena demanded a larger share.

BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, said, “We had several rounds of discussion, but since both sides could not agree on certain seats, we will contest against each other in Pune. While there is an alliance between us in many places, it did not materialise here.”

Aba Bagul, who recently joined Shiv Sena from Congress, said, “The BJP was offering seats where neither party has historically performed well. Most of the seats offered were in the Kondhwa area.”

With the BJP and Shiv Sena contesting separately, there is a possibility that the Nationalist Congress Party-Ajit Pawar faction (NCP) may support Shiv Sena candidates in constituencies where the Sena’s presence is strong.

While senior Shiv Sena leaders were keen on maintaining the alliance with the BJP, local leaders ultimately convinced the party to contest independently for the Pune civic polls.