Ajit Pawar announces NCP-NCP (SP) alliance for Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls: 'Parivar has come together'

Ajit Pawar split his uncle Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and joined hands with the BJP and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena in 2023.

• Ajit Pawar announces NCP and NCP(SP) alliance for Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls
• Elections for 29 Maharashtra municipal corporations set for January 15
• Talks ongoing for a possible alliance in Pune Municipal Corporation polls

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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has announced an alliance between his NCP and the NCP (SP), led by his uncle Sharad Pawar, for the Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls, saying the "parivar" (family) has come together.

He was in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Sunday to campaign for the January 15 elections.

"For the sake of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections, the 'clock' and the 'tutari' (trumpet) have united. The parivar has come together," he said.

Pawar urged party workers to work hard and refrain from making any controversial comments during rallies. "We are the ones who work for development. We will edge out those who tried to put this municipal corporation in debt," he said.

Meanwhile, talks between the two parties are underway for a tie-up for the Pune Municipal Corporation polls.

Earlier in the day, the Pawar family was in Baramati, where industrialist Gautam Adani inaugurated the Sharadchandra Pawar Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence.

Elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including the Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune civic bodies, will be held on January 15, and votes will be counted the next day. The last date for filing nominations is December 30.

Ajit, who split his uncle Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and joined hands with the BJP and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena in 2023, had rebelled after making his misgivings clear about his uncle's staying at the helm of the party despite his advancing age.

Ajit, who had taken oath as Deputy Chief Minister thrice in four years, had repeatedly slammed his uncle, a four-time Chief Minister of the state. Once he had even questioned why his uncle should continue to lead the party at his age.

"In other parties, leaders retire after an age. In BJP, leaders retire at 75, when are you going to stop? You should also give new people a chance. If we make mistakes, tell us. Your age is 83, will you ever stop or not? You give us blessings," he had said.