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Pune polls: NCP (SP) rules out alliance with Ajit Pawar faction
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) holds review meeting, directs aspirants to promptly collect and submit their forms at the party office
Pune: Shortly after the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) election reservation draw on Tuesday, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) held a review meeting, directing aspirants to promptly collect and submit their forms at the party office.
NCP (SP) city president Prashant Jagtap stated, “We will not form any alliance with Mahayuti parties. We remain with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and will contest the civic elections as part of the MVA.”
He added that the party has begun the internal process of shortlisting candidates. “Interested aspirants have been asked to collect forms from the city office and submit them at the earliest,” Jagtap said.
According to party sources, the NCP (Sharad Pawar) is preparing to contest all 165 PMC wards. A senior leader said, “If there is no seat-sharing arrangement within the MVA, we are ready to contest all wards independently.”
During the meeting, several members raised questions about a possible alliance with the rival NCP led by Ajit Pawar. Senior leaders, however, ruled out any understanding in Pune city, citing past electoral rivalries between the two factions, including contests between MLA Chetan Tupe and Jagtap in Hadapsar, Bapu Pathare and Sunil Tingre in Vadgaon Sheri, and similar situations in Khadakwasla, as reasons against a local alliance.
A senior office-bearer noted, “The equations in Pune make an alliance with the Ajit Pawar faction unfeasible,” adding that the NCP (Sharad Pawar) will instead focus on strengthening its organisational base across all city wards.
