All eyes on Pune civic polls: Can Pawar + Pawar add up to a BJP setback

Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar

• Rival NCP factions unite for Pune civic polls, releasing a joint manifesto
• Manifesto pledges tap water, clean roads, free bus travel, and property tax waiver
• Voting on January 15; outcome may impact BJP's urban strategy in Maharashtra

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A rare political reunion has redrawn the contours of an already high-stakes civic battle, with the two rival Nationalist Congress Party factions coming together in a calculated bid to blunt the BJP’s dominance in the city.

Nearly two and a half years after the NCP split in 2023, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Saturday released a joint manifesto for the civic polls, with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and party MP Supriya Sule sharing the stage at the event.

The joint manifesto, unveiled just days before voting on January 15, focuses on core civic issues that resonate strongly with urban voters. Ajit Pawar said the document prioritises assured tap water supply, traffic decongestion, pothole-free roads, improved cleanliness, better healthcare facilities, pollution control and slum rehabilitation. The promises also include free travel on PMPML buses and the metro, property tax waiver for homes up to 500 square feet, and free computer tablets for students.

Even as his party remains part of the BJP-led Mahayuti at the state and Centre, Ajit Pawar has sharpened his attack on the local BJP leadership, accusing it of stalling development in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad despite receiving substantial government funding. The BJP controlled both civic bodies between 2017 and 2022 and has declared that it will go it alone in this election cycle.

What's at stake? 

The stakes are particularly high for Ajit Pawar, for whom the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal polls are seen as a personal and political acid test. Hailing from Pune district, the deputy chief minister has camped extensively in both cities, overseeing candidate selection and even inducting former BJP corporators denied tickets.

What initially appeared to be a comfortable contest for the BJP has turned into a tighter race due to the unexpected NCP reunion.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sought to downplay the alliance, calling it a localised arrangement limited to a couple of municipal corporations. Speaking to the media on the final day of campaigning, Fadnavis said the two NCP factions had not formally merged and were merely contesting together to “keep their flock together” in closely fought civic races.

“They are contesting in alliance in just two bodies. They have not merged officially. This is more of a local phenomenon - leaders from both sides are trying to project that they are fighting together to keep their flock together,” Fadnavis said.

Fadnavis expressed confidence that the ruling Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, would perform strongly across key urban centres, including Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Nashik.

Voting tomorrow 

As voting gets underway on January 15 and counting follows the next day, the Pune verdict will be watched closely for signals beyond the civic map. A strong showing by the reunited NCP factions could complicate the BJP’s urban strategy and revive speculation about future political recalibrations in Maharashtra, while a BJP victory would reinforce its claim of organisational strength despite fragmented opposition alliances.