Talks between the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) regarding a potential alliance for the Pune Municipal Corporation elections have collapsed. The Sharad Pawar-led faction has now shifted its focus back to solidifying ties with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and will resume discussions on Friday evening.
Supriya Sule, the working president of the NCP (SP), confirmed the breakdown, stating, “Yes, our alliance discussion with the NCP has broken down. There will be no alliance,” in an interview with The Indian Express on Saturday.
The discussions reportedly fell apart when the NCP insisted that NCP (SP) candidates contest under their emblem, the ‘clock’ symbol. The NCP (SP) rejected this demand, arguing that they are an independent party with a distinct identity. Spokesperson Ankush Kakade noted, “We had not declared plans of contesting PMC elections with the NCP. The NCP approached us, and we conveyed that the NCP (SP) will contest civic polls alongside partners from the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), which are MVA allies.”
Additionally, a delegation from the NCP (SP) had previously met NCP chief Ajit Pawar to discuss seat-sharing arrangements, but the NCP offered fewer seats than the NCP (SP) found acceptable. Kakade emphasized the party’s intention to ally with MVA partners for the civic elections, but noted that the Congress abruptly decided to contest independently.
Both the Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) held seat-sharing discussions at a Pune hotel late Friday. Sule stated that relations with the MVA remain strong and that discussions are ongoing. However, NCP state president Sunil Tatkare contradicted the perception of a complete breakdown, asserting that conversations with NCP (SP) are still in progress. “As per my information, the discussions are still underway,” he said.
Pune city Congress president Arvind Shinde shared that the discussions among the MVA have resumed, with leaders from the three parties meeting continuously. The Congress claim is that out of 165 PMC seats, each party will secure between 50 to 55 seats, maintaining equal strength among them.
On the potential participation of Raj Thackeray-led MNS, Shinde stated, “MNS is not part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi…We have communicated this to the Sena as well.” Meanwhile, the NCP (SP) has expressed a desire to contest all the seats won by their candidates in 2017, including those of Prashant Jagtap and his mother. According to Congress spokesperson Ramesh Iyer, the NCP (SP) has demanded the seat previously held by Jagtap.
On Friday, former Pune mayor Prashant Jagtap switched allegiance from NCP (SP) to Congress, frustrated by the prospect of an alliance between the two NCP factions. Shinde emphasized that the only criterion for seat sharing would be the capability to win, noting that Jagtap’s seat in Wanowrie will be contested by Congress.
When asked if NCP (SP) demanded Jagtap’s seat, Sule replied, “I don’t know…But we are demanding the seats that we won in the last election.” A Congress insider confirmed that the party will not relinquish the seats held by Jagtap and his mother, stating, “This issue will go to our state leadership.”
In Pimpri-Chinchwad, discussions between the two NCP factions have stalled due to disagreements over the number of seats sought by Sharad Pawar’s faction. Yogesh Behl, the Pimpri-Chinchwad NCP president, commented, “They initially demanded 27 seats and are now seeking 23. It is impossible to give them so many seats when they have only two former corporators.”
Meanwhile, city Congress chief Arvind Shinde welcomed Prashant Jagtap into the party. He praised Jagtap for transitioning from his previous party without any criticism. Shinde noted that Jagtap’s entry has strengthened the Congress, which will honor him appropriately. He added, “Jagtap has comprehensive knowledge about all 165 seats, and his insights will be invaluable for candidate selection.”
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/pmc-elections-as-alliance-talks-with-ncp-collapses-sharad-pawars-party-rushes-back-to-mva-three-parties-to-get-equal-seats-10442266/
Category: Cities,Pune
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Publish Date: 2025-12-27 22:31:00
