The political landscape for the upcoming Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections has witnessed significant fragmentation, with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance failing to present a united front. In a major development, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has forged an alliance with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray, while the Congress party has decided to contest the polls solo.
Alliance Equations in Disarray
While the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party – one led by Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP) and the other by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar – have joined hands in Pimpri-Chinchwad, the other MVA constituents could not replicate this unity. The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), despite being part of the state-level MVA, failed to reach a seat-sharing agreement for the 128-seat civic body.
Yogesh Behl, the president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad unit of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, confirmed the alliance between the two NCP groups. "Our alliance with NCP (SP) has been firmed in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Out of the 128 seats, we have allocated 18 seats to NCP (SP)," Behl stated. He added that the main NCP faction will contest 110 seats. Behl also revealed that some BJP and Shiv Sena leaders had approached them at the last minute and were accommodated within their quota.
Partners Part Ways: Congress and Sena (UBT) Choose Separate Paths
The failure of the MVA alliance was confirmed by leaders from both the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT). Manoj Kamble, general secretary of the Maharashtra Congress, stated, "The Congress has fielded 60 candidates… We held discussions with the Sena but could not reach an agreement."
On the other side, Gautam Chabukswar, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief for Pimpri-Chinchwad, announced their new alliance. "Our alliance could not be forged with Congress. We will have an alliance with MNS and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha. The Sena has fielded 59 candidates while the MNS has fielded 17 candidates," Chabukswar explained. He pointedly remarked, "As of now, there is no MVA in Pimpri-Chinchwad." However, he left a small window open, stating that after the last day for withdrawal of nominations, they would meet again to explore any remaining possibility for an alliance.
Historical Context and High Stakes
The PCMC polls hold high significance for all parties involved. In the 2017 elections, the BJP had scored a decisive victory, winning 78 seats and ruling the corporation for five years, while the then-undivided NCP managed to win 36 seats. The Congress, which initially ruled PCMC alone after 1986 and later in association with the undivided NCP, has drawn a blank in the last three elections, failing to win a single seat.
Congress leader Babu Nair expressed that they had initially hoped the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) would be part of the MVA. "However, as both NCP factions were holding discussions, we had given up hopes of making them a part of the MVA," Nair said. The coming together of the two NCP factions is primarily seen as a strategy to avoid division of their traditional vote bank.
Both the BJP and the NCP are pulling out all stops to capture the crucial civic body. NCP national president Ajit Pawar began his outreach to voters at least three months before the formal campaign started. In response, Shatrughan Kate, president of the BJP's Pimpri-Chinchwad unit, expressed confidence, stating, "We are confident of returning to power in PCMC. Though the NCP has made allegations against us, we will not make any allegation against them. We will try to win as many seats as possible. That will be our answer."
The stage is now set for a multi-cornered contest in Pimpri-Chinchwad, with pre-poll alliances reshaping the battle lines and putting the cohesion of the state-level opposition alliance to a severe test at the local level.
