Pune Civic Elections Deliver Major Blow to Shiv Sena Factions and MNS
The recent Pune Municipal Corporation elections have delivered a stunning blow to both factions of Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. These parties faced their worst performance in recent memory during the crucial civic polls.
Complete Washout for Shinde Sena and MNS
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction failed to win a single seat in the PMC elections. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, led by Raj Thackeray, also drew a complete blank. Shiv Sena (UBT) managed to secure just one seat out of the 165 corporator positions available across 41 wards.
This represents a dramatic decline from previous elections. In 2017, a united Shiv Sena had won 10 seats in the civic polls. MNS had secured victory in two seats during that election cycle.
City Leaders Suffer Personal Defeats
The election results proved particularly humiliating for local party leadership. All three parties saw their city unit chiefs lose their electoral battles in their respective wards.
- Shinde Sena's city chief Nana Bhangire lost in Mohammadwadi-Undri ward to an NCP candidate
- MNS head Sainath Babar was defeated in Kondhwa-Kausarbaug ward by a Congress nominee
- Shiv Sena (UBT)'s city head Sanjay More lost in Raviwar Peth-Nana Peth ward
The sole success came from Nitin Gawde of Shiv Sena (UBT), who entered PMC from Hadapsar-Satavwadi ward.
Historical Context and Party Dynamics
Political sources reveal that the split within Shiv Sena created significant challenges for both factions. After the division, most corporators initially remained with Uddhav Thackeray. However, they eventually jumped to other parties, leaving Shiv Sena (UBT) without any former corporators before the election.
In Shinde's camp, Bhangire stood as the only former corporator besides Aba Bagul, who joined Sena from Congress just ahead of the polls.
Campaign Failures and Strategic Missteps
Multiple factors contributed to the poor performance of these parties. Sources indicate that lack of active campaigning by state leadership hampered their efforts. The campaigning never gained proper momentum, and both parties struggled to field strong candidates.
Shinde's Sena engaged in prolonged discussions with BJP for seat sharing arrangements. The party demanded at least 25 seats from BJP in a pre-poll alliance. When talks collapsed at the last minute, the party decided to contest alone with just hours remaining before the nomination deadline. This gamble ultimately backfired.
MNS and Alliance Challenges
MNS contested an ambitious 44 seats despite their limited resources. Raj Thackeray did campaign toward the end, but his efforts failed to translate into electoral success for party candidates.
Shiv Sena (UBT) fought the elections jointly with Congress through an alliance. Even with this partnership, the party could not gather sufficient support from Pune voters.
Contrasting Fortunes for Congress
While Shiv Sena factions and MNS struggled, Congress demonstrated improved performance. The party won 15 seats, marking a significant increase from their 2017 tally of just nine seats. This contrast highlights the shifting political dynamics within Pune's municipal landscape.
The election results signal a major realignment in Pune's political scene. Traditional players face serious questions about their future strategies and voter connect in Maharashtra's cultural capital.
