The upcoming elections for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are shaping up to be a direct and intense battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). With major alliances failing to materialize, voters in 44 out of the 128 seats will witness a straight contest between candidates from these two rival parties.
Alliance Failure Sets Stage for Direct Confrontation
Despite being part of the larger state-level coalitions Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the constituent parties could not forge a local alliance for the PCMC polls. This failure has cleared the ground for a head-to-head fight between the BJP, which ruled the civic body from 2017 to 2022, and the NCP, which aims to reclaim its lost bastion. The political significance of this direct contest was underscored last week when NCP national president Ajit Pawar launched a sharp attack on the BJP's previous tenure, accusing it of large-scale corruption and vowing an aggressive campaign to retake control.
Seat-Wise Breakdown of the Electoral Battle
The PCMC electoral area is divided into 32 prabhags, each electing four corporators. Political parties field panels of four candidates representing general, OBC, SC, and ST categories. After the withdrawal of nominations, 692 candidates remain in the fray for the 2026 elections. Two BJP candidates, Ravi Landge and Supriya Chandgude, have already been elected unopposed.
The 44 seats earmarked for a direct BJP-NCP contest include Prabhags 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4C, 5A, 5B, 6C, 7B, 7C, 7D, 8B, 10C, 12B, 15B, 15C, 19C, 21B, 21D, 24A, 24C, 24D, 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D, 27B, 27D, 28A, 28D, 29A, 29B, 29C, and 29D.
Beyond the direct fights, the electoral landscape is varied:
- 23 seats will see a three-cornered contest involving the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the NCP.
- 35 seats will witness a four-cornered fight between the BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Congress.
- Several other seats will have multi-cornered contests with more players in the mix.
Confident Claims from Rival Camps
Leaders from both main parties have expressed confidence in securing victory. BJP Pimpri-Chinchwad unit president Shratrughan Kate acknowledged the direct nature of the fight but asserted his party's belief in outperforming the NCP. On the other side, NCP leader Yogesh Behl confirmed the failure of alliance talks between the Shiv Sena and the BJP, noting that in a few seats, the Sena has partnered with the NCP to take on the BJP. He remained bullish, stating that regardless of a direct or multi-cornered fight, the NCP is confident of defeating BJP candidates.
Adding to the NCP's assertive stance, party leader Ajit Gavhane, who has opted out of leading the campaign, dismissed the BJP's claims of a sweep. He argued that the public mood has shifted against the BJP's rule and that people are seeking a return to the development-oriented governance associated with Ajit Pawar's earlier leadership during the NCP's 25-year reign in PCMC.
The 2017 PCMC elections saw the BJP win a landslide with 78 out of 128 corporators, ending the NCP's long dominance. The 2026 polls are now a critical test for both parties, with the NCP aiming for a comeback and the BJP striving to retain its hold on this important industrial civic body in Maharashtra.
