PUNE: In a significant political development, estranged cousins Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule united on stage for the first time on Saturday to unveil a joint manifesto for the upcoming Pune civic polls. This gathering comes nearly two-and-a-half years after their family and political split. Despite this collaboration, both leaders were vague regarding any potential merger of their factions, with Ajit Pawar simply stating, “Wait and watch,” when pressed on speculation about a unification of their parties.
Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has allied with Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) specifically for the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal elections, even though they represent opposing sides in both the state and central government. The original NCP aligns with the ruling coalition, while NCP (SP) operates within the opposition.
Following the announcement of the alliance, some party workers expressed disappointment. Addressing this concern, Sule remarked, “When any alliance is formed, some party workers get disappointed. But we will not leave them on their own. Our focus on both sides of the alliance is on the workers, not on the leaders.”
When questioned about her absence from campaigning in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), Ajit Pawar came to her defense, stating, “She told me to take the lead in the campaign as I am older to her and promised that she would follow me.” The PMC is scheduled to vote alongside 28 other municipal corporations across the state on January 15.
The camaraderie observed during the manifesto release starkly contrasts with their previously contentious relationship, particularly during the last Lok Sabha and assembly elections in 2024, which followed the split in July 2023. The NCP (SP) has even approached the court against Ajit Pawar’s faction, contesting ownership of the party’s symbol and name.
Regarding ongoing court proceedings and rumors about the two factions reuniting, Ajit Pawar assured that they respect the court’s orders and plan to resolve any outstanding issues independently, asserting, “Supriya and I will sit together and find it on our own; nobody else needs to bother about it.”
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/cousins-ajit-sule-share-stage-manifesto-for-pune-civic-polls/articleshow/126457789.cms
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Publish Date: 2026-01-11 00:36:00
