Unfriendly contest on cards? Ajit Pawar dials Congress for possible tie-up in Pune civic polls

Congress spokesperson Gopal Tiwari said any decision would have to come from the top leadership. "Our party leadership has allowed us to tie up with Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP). Any alliance outside the Maha Vikas Aghadi will need a green signal from the high command," he said, adding that Ajit Pawar's proposal would be conveyed to Delhi.

Tiwari also underlined that Pawar's party would have to first break ties with the Mahayuti if it wanted to align with the Congress.

The outreach comes at a time when both the BJP and Ajit Pawar's NCP are preparing for what leaders describe as a "bitter battle" for control of the PMC. The BJP ruled the civic body from 2017 to 2022, while the NCP is keen to reclaim its influence in Pune, where Pawar has been personally leading preparations well before the State Election Commission announced the poll schedule.

Behind the Congress' apparent openness to talks is a stark organisational reality. The party has struggled to remain electorally relevant in Pune and neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad. In Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, the Congress has failed to win a single corporator in the last two to three elections.

The party also suffered a setback ahead of the polls with the resignation of its Pimpri-Chinchwad city unit president Kailas Kadam, who said he would speak about his decision "at the appropriate time".

A Congress leader supportive of the talks argued that a local alliance could help fracture the BJP-NCP understanding. "BJP and NCP have always been at odds in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. They never get along. The Congress should exploit these fissures. Right now, our chances of winning seats are bleak. At least this creates momentum," the leader said.

The Hindustan Times reported that the Congress had last week floated a proposal in Pimpri-Chinchwad seeking a 20-seat understanding with the NCP, indicating a broader push to consolidate anti-BJP votes in urban Maharashtra.

Congress leaders privately admitted that the party's weak organisational base in cities like Pune made an alliance imperative to avoid a split opposition benefiting the BJP.

Congress Pune city president Arvind Shinde said Patil had begun consultations with local leaders. "As a party, we are positive about joining hands with Ajit Pawar as long as the fight is against the BJP. However, any alliance under the MVA banner must ensure equitable seat-sharing," he said.

From the NCP, Pune city president Sunil Tingre said efforts were underway to avoid vote division. "In Pune, the main contest is between the BJP and NCP. Our focus is to fight the BJP unitedly," he said, while also hinting at discontent within the Mahayuti over the BJP's alleged poaching of leaders at the local level.

Ajit Pawar has publicly expressed displeasure over BJP inducting leaders denied tickets despite a stated understanding among Mahayuti partners not to poach.

However, the prospect of Ajit Pawar aligning with Congress and the opposition bloc has triggered unease within Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). Former Pune unit chief Prashant Jagtap warned that such a tie-up would confuse cadres and dilute the party's ideological position, given its sustained attacks on the BJP–Ajit Pawar alliance at the state level.

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule is in Pune and is expected to hold meetings with party workers to gauge sentiment, even as parallel discussions on reuniting the two NCP factions for civic polls continue.

Former Pune mayor Datta Dhankawade claimed that talks to bring both NCP factions together were close to completion and that only a formal announcement remained.