NCP leader Ajit Pawar convened a crucial meeting with his party's newly elected corporators in Pune. The gathering aimed to dissect the reasons behind a disappointing performance in the recent Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) polls.
Analyzing a Below-Par Poll Performance
Ajit Pawar addressed the corporators at the Baramati hostel in Pune on Monday. He openly admitted that the election results fell far short of expectations. The NCP chief instructed party office-bearers to conduct a thorough assessment of what went wrong with their campaign strategy.
"He told the party's office-bearers to assess what went wrong with the party's strategy," revealed a senior NCP official who attended the meeting.
Despite the electoral setback, Ajit Pawar made it clear that the alliance with Sharad Pawar's NCP faction would continue. He emphasized this commitment during the discussions.
Intense Civic Polls in Pune Region
The January 15 elections for 29 municipal corporations saw particularly fierce competition in Pune. Both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party had joined forces for these civic body elections.
However, the alliance delivered underwhelming results. In the 165-member PMC, Ajit Pawar's party secured only 27 seats. Sharad Pawar's NCP managed to win just three seats.
The neighboring Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) told a similar story. Out of 128 total seats, Ajit Pawar's NCP won 37 seats. Sharad Pawar's party failed to win any seats in PCMC.
Coordinating Opposition Strategy in PMC
During the meeting, Ajit Pawar outlined specific issues for the corporators to pursue. Since the alliance will sit in opposition in the PMC, he defined their roles clearly. The presidents of both NCP city units participated in these strategic discussions.
In a separate development, Ajit Pawar also met with three corporators from Sharad Pawar's NCP faction. He engaged with their party office bearers to ensure smooth coordination.
"We discussed the issues our alliance will raise in PMC," stated Shrikant Patil, Pune city unit chief of NCP (SP). "We also discussed how to maintain close coordination with each other in PMC for the entire term."
The meetings focused on maintaining a united front despite the electoral disappointment. Both factions appear committed to working together throughout the PMC's term.
