Congress and NCP (SP) Struggle for Visibility in Nashik Civic Polls
Two major partners of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance face a visibility crisis in Nashik. The Congress and the NCP (SP) appear to trail behind in momentum with just one day remaining before the Nashik Municipal Corporation election. Both parties have refrained from deploying star campaigners or organizing major public rallies across the city.
Shiv Sena UBT and MNS Launch Aggressive Campaign
In sharp contrast, their alliance counterparts have gone all out to energize voters. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray have already addressed large public rallies. These events significantly boosted morale among party workers.
UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray visited Nashik back in December. He held a rally in Vihitgaon and met with environmental activists regarding the Tapovan tree-felling issue. UBT MP Arvind Sawant also toured the city last week. He instructed cadres to intensify booth-level campaigning and highlight alleged lapses in civic governance.
Manifesto Distribution and Last-Minute Plans
UBT and MNS jointly released their manifesto titled 'Thackerayans' Promises'. Meanwhile, Congress lagged in distributing its own manifesto widely among Nashik voters. The NCP (SP) maintained a low profile throughout the campaign period. However, party politicians claimed that plans were underway for last-minute rallies.
Congress city unit chief Akash Chhajed stated the party will host two rallies featuring AICC member Nadeem Javed on Tuesday night. "Our candidates are conducting door-to-door campaigns and road shows in their respective wards," he explained. Chhajed stressed that Congress declared its own manifesto focusing specifically on Nashik's development.
NCP (SP) state vice-president Gokul Pingle confirmed that rallies by MPs Supriya Sule and Amol Kolhe are likely on Tuesday. "Our focus is on improving road quality, addressing flood-line issues, and protecting Tapovan's greenery," Pingle emphasized.
Contentious Seat-Sharing Within MVA Alliance
Seat-sharing negotiations within the MVA alliance proved particularly contentious. While the four partners agreed to contest the elections jointly, they could not reach consensus on several seats. This resulted in friendly contests in approximately twenty-eight wards.
For the 122 seats across thirty-one wards, the alliance distribution stands as follows:
- Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting seventy-nine seats
- MNS is contesting twenty-nine seats
- Congress is contesting sixteen seats
- NCP (SP) is contesting twenty-nine seats
In total, the alliance fielded 153 candidates for 122 seats. This indicates overlapping claims despite concerted efforts at coordination between the partners.
