Two weeks from now, on January 15, 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra will go to polls. The results will be out the next day.
Whatever be the results, what has emerged as of now is that there is no clear Mahayuti versus Maha Vikas Aghadi fight in these elections. Instead, what is dominating is the local-level tie-ups and alliances.
In Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, both factions of the NCP have come together to take on the BJP, which is extremely aggressive after emerging as the number one in the first round of elections to municipal councils. NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar have formed an alliance to ensure that they retain their bastion of the twin cities of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. This alliance was formed despite strong opposition from NCP leader Sharad Pawar's Pune president, Prashant Jagtap, but the pressure from local activists and party cadres was so great that Jagtap quit the party and joined Congress when his opposition to the alliance was rejected. Sharad Pawar himself said that the alliance was done purely considering the sentiments of party cadres from both factions.
Interestingly, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said today that his NCP is in talks with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena over seat-sharing for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls.
also read
- Is the BKC underground train station ready? Here is the latest on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project
- '35 videos of eight women': CM Fadnavis confirms Ashok Kharat drugged women to rape them
- Ashok Kharat sexually abused drugged women, threatened harm to husbands if they refused: Report
- Ashok Kharat sexually abusing pregnant woman triggered whistleblower to set up hidden camera: Report
He said that although they are in touch with Shiv Sena over seats, the picture will be clearer after the scrutiny of nomination papers and withdrawals by candidates. Earlier, the party had said that it had tied up with Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) for the two municipal corporations.
“We have already forged an alliance with RPI (Sachin Kharat faction). We are contesting in alliance with NCP (SP) in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. We are also having talks with Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant. Possibly, we will come to an understanding over some seats with Shiv Sena for these civic bodies,” he told reporters.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis may have earlier claimed that the BJP and Shinde Shiv Sena will fight the elections as the Mahayuti alliance, but they are together in only 15 of the 29 municipal corporations. In the MMR region, they are together in Mumbai and Thane but are fighting against each other in Kalyan-Dombivali, Ulhasnagar, and Navi Mumbai municipal corporations.
The picture that has emerged is of local strongmen guiding their party leaders to form alliances for local benefits. For instance, the Shinde Sena and NCP leader Ajit Pawar are together in Nashik, Dhule, and Solapur municipal corporations in their fight against the BJP.
The ball is in the voters’ court now.