In a significant political development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena have decided to part ways and contest the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections independently. The decision came after prolonged negotiations over a seat-sharing arrangement ultimately collapsed on Friday, the final day for withdrawal of nominations.
Alliance Talks Collapse Over Seat Numbers
The two parties, which are partners in the ruling Mahayuti coalition at the state level, could not bridge their differences on a respectable number of seats for the Shiv Sena. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the Shiv Sena had demanded 35 seats but the BJP was only willing to offer 16. This gap proved insurmountable.
Pune's Member of Parliament from the BJP, Murlidhar Mohol, confirmed the split, stating, "We are together in the state, but we will fight against each other in PMC." Echoing this, the city unit chief of Shiv Sena, Pramod (Nana) Bhangire, said his party decided to go solo as the BJP did not offer a respectable number of seats.
The uncertainty over the alliance had persisted for over a fortnight, with both parties filing a large number of nominations earlier in the week. Bhangire noted that while some Sena nominations were rejected and others withdrew, the party now has a final list of 105 candidates. The BJP, on the other hand, will contest all 165 seats in the civic body.
Last-Minute Drama and a Matter of Prestige
The negotiations were marked by last-minute flip-flops that continued right until the deadline on Friday. A senior BJP member revealed that a sticking point was Ward 24, among a couple of others, where both parties insisted on fielding their candidate. "It proved to be a matter of prestige and finally the talks failed," the leader said.
This breakdown means that voters in Pune will witness direct contests between the two major ruling allies in numerous wards, significantly altering the electoral dynamics of the PMC polls.
Other Alliances Take Shape
While the BJP and Shiv Sena split, other political formations have solidified their partnerships. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has joined hands with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and is contesting from 44 seats. Senior MNS member Ajay Shinde acknowledged the possibility of a couple of friendly fights but assured that steps would be taken to ensure it doesn't harm the alliance's victory prospects.
Furthermore, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has successfully worked out a seat-sharing formula with the Congress for these elections. Congress will fight from 95 seats. Senior Congress member Mohan Joshi mentioned that a couple of smaller alliance partners are also part of this arrangement, with Sena (UBT) and Congress sharing a few seats with them.
The stage is now set for a fiercely contested and multi-cornered battle for control of the Pune Municipal Corporation, with major state-level partners turning into local adversaries.
