Family first? Sharad–Ajit Pawar reunion buzz ahead of Pune civic election

NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) has been a rival to the NCP (SP) since the party split in 2023.

Ahead of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, discussions are underway between the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP over a possible alliance.

Pune is one of 29 civic bodies voting next month, including the Rs 74,000-crore Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) has been a rival to the NCP (SP) since the party split in 2023.

After NCP’s (Ajit Pawar faction) relatively poor performance in local body polls in Maharashtra, as compared to Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, Pawar is exploring options to save his bastion for upcoming civic polls.

According to a report by NDTV, Sharad Pawar has found himself a third wheel in another family reunion -Thackeray cousins Uddhav and Raj.

However, none of the faction is willing to work with Raj Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

Sources told NDTV defeat in this election will not be seen as a setback; the idea is to assess the strength of the Ajit Pawar NCP in a solo contest.

Former Pune mayor and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) city president Prashant Jagtap on Friday joined the Congress, a move the party said would strengthen it ahead of Maharashtra municipal elections scheduled for January 15.

Jagtap joined the Congress in the presence of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshwardhan Sapkal at party headquarters Tilak Bhavan here. Several office-bearers of the NCP (SP) from Pune also switched over to the Congress along with Jagtap.

Welcoming Jagtap, Sapkal said the Congress represents the ideological legacy of Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule and B.R. Ambedkar, and is committed to an ideological struggle.