In a significant political move ahead of the crucial Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national president Ajit Pawar has initiated contact with the Congress to explore a potential electoral alliance. This development comes even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the NCP are reportedly preparing for a fierce contest to control the civic body.
Pawar's Overtures to Congress Leadership
On the night of Sunday, December 22, 2025, Ajit Pawar directly telephoned Congress leader and Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Satej Patil. Patil, who has been entrusted with the party's charge in Pune city, confirmed the conversation. According to Congress sources, Pawar sought to understand whether the Congress was interested in forming a tie-up with the NCP for the upcoming civic polls.
Satej Patil informed Ajit Pawar that he would need to discuss the proposal with the party's senior leadership before giving a definitive response. When approached for comment, Patil declined to elaborate, stating he did not wish to speak on the matter at this time.
Congress's Cautious Stance and Internal Deliberations
The offer has put the Congress's state unit in a deliberative mode. Sources indicate that Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Harshavardhan Sapkal has asked Satej Patil to assess whether such a local-level partnership would be in the party's best interest.
Congress spokesperson Gopal Tiwari clarified the party's official position. He stated that any decision regarding an alliance would be taken by the top party leadership. "Our party leadership has permitted us to ally with Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). However, for any tie-up outside this front, we require a green signal from the highest level," Tiwari explained. He added that Pawar's offer would be conveyed to the senior leadership and the party rank and file would abide by their decision.
Tiwari also set a clear precondition, highlighting the internal contradiction such an alliance would present. "Locally, we have been criticising Ajit Pawar's party and other constituents of the ruling Mahayuti alliance. If his party wants to join us, they will have to sever ties with Mahayuti," he asserted.
Strategic Calculations and Local Political Dynamics
Within the Congress, there are voices advocating for a pragmatic approach. One leader, keen on the alliance, argued that the BJP and NCP have historically been at odds in Pune and neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad. "They never get along. The Congress should go for an alliance at the local level to create further fissures in their ranks. This is a clever political strategy," the leader said.
The leader pointed to the Congress's diminished presence in the region. The party has been struggling in both Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad, with its prospects of winning seats looking increasingly bleak. "The Congress needs some kind of motivation. At least, the party should create some noise by having discussions with NCP," the leader added, indicating a desire to regain political relevance.
The BJP had controlled the PMC from 2017 to 2022, and the NCP is now aggressively campaigning to return to power. An NCP leader noted that Ajit Pawar has been leading the party's campaign well before the State Election Commission officially announced the poll schedule, underscoring his intent to capture the corporation.
The political maneuvering has intensified, with the BJP recently inducting several former NCP corporators. The NCP is now preparing a counter-strategy, sources revealed.
Congress Faces Setback in Pimpri-Chinchwad
Compounding the Congress's challenges in the region, the party received a jolt in Pimpri-Chinchwad. The president of its city unit, Kailas Kadam, resigned at this crucial election time. When contacted, Kadam cited certain reasons for his decision but said he would disclose them at an appropriate time.
"My party leadership has not asked me to resign. I have done it on my own. I have slogged for the party for the last four years and tried to rebuild it. I have done my best to revive the party in Pimpri-Chinchwad," Kadam stated, refusing to comment further. The resignation highlights the internal turmoil within the party's local structure, which has failed to elect a single corporator in the last two to three elections.
The unfolding scenario sets the stage for a complex and potentially realigned political battle for control of Pune's civic body, with Ajit Pawar's alliance proposal being a central talking point.
