The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections have been thrown into disarray following a major breakdown in seat-sharing agreements among key political alliances. The last day for filing nominations on Tuesday witnessed widespread defiance of pre-decided pacts, with parties hastily distributing tickets to candidates across all 165 wards, setting the stage for intense last-minute negotiations.
BJP-Shiv Sena Alliance Faces Open Revolt
The most significant rupture occurred within the ruling Mahayuti alliance at the state level. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had formally announced its partnership with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena for the PMC polls. However, the deal quickly unraveled as local Shiv Sena leaders publicly protested the terms offered by their senior partner.
Shiv Sena's Pune city chief, Nana Bhangire, revealed that the BJP had offered only 16 seats to his party, a number deemed unacceptable. "The BJP offered only 16 seats to us, which was not acceptable. Thus, we decided to file nominations in all seats," stated Bhangire. Acting on this decision, the Shinde faction issued letters to its aspirants for every single PMC seat on the final nomination day.
Despite the open rebellion, senior Shiv Sena leaders Uday Samant and Vijay Shivtare attempted to control the damage, clarifying that the alliance with the BJP remained intact. They indicated that the top leadership of both parties would intervene to resolve the issue through discussions before the last date for withdrawing nominations.
Symbol Swaps and Strategic Maneuvers in NCP Camp
The situation within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions was equally complex, though marked by strategic coordination rather than conflict. In the alliance between the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), several last-minute changes saw candidates contesting on each other's party symbols.
This unusual move was a calculated strategy based on the perceived popularity of a party symbol in specific localities. For instance, in the Gokhalenagar area, NCP (SP) aspirant Nilesh Nikam was made to contest on the NCP's symbol to ensure all four alliance candidates in that zone fought under one emblem.
Conversely, in the Kondhwa-NIBM area, four NCP aspirants were designated as NCP (SP) candidates. This decision was influenced by the strong performance of the NCP(SP) symbol in the recent Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections in that region. An NCP leader explained the rationale, stating the arrangement was "done based on popularity of the symbol in the different areas."
Leaders from both NCP camps acknowledged that if candidates from their respective factions ended up contesting for the same seat, one would be persuaded to withdraw to prevent a division of votes.
A Glimmer of Stability in the Opposition Alliance
Amidst the turmoil, the opposition alliance of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) presented a picture of relative stability. These partners largely adhered to their seat-sharing agreement, with disagreements limited to only a few seats.
A Congress leader expressed confidence that any minor issues would be resolved amicably. "We were clear about the seat-sharing formula. However, if there is a problem in a few seats, it would be resolved through discussion and the weak candidate of either party will be asked to withdraw from the fray," the leader said.
The Road Ahead: A Race Against the Withdrawal Deadline
With nomination papers now submitted, the political focus in Pune has shifted to backroom negotiations before the deadline for withdrawal. The BJP, learning from its partner's actions, is understood to have filed nominations for all 165 seats. This includes seven aspirants from its alliance partner, the Republican Party of India (Athawale) [RPI(A)], who will contest on a common symbol.
However, skepticism remains about the likelihood of mass withdrawals to honor alliances. Experienced Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar cast doubt on the process, noting, "The nomination forms have been submitted for seats across the city. From my experience, I can say there will hardly be any candidate who will be withdrawing his nomination."
The coming days will test the strength of political commands and the discipline of local cadres as Pune braces for a highly contested and unpredictable civic election.
