In a significant political development ahead of the crucial Pune Municipal Corporation elections, the Congress party has decided to accommodate the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) within its alliance framework with the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena. This move comes despite initial ideological reservations from the Congress about partnering with the MNS.
Seat-Sharing Formula Finalised for Major Partners
The core seat-sharing arrangement between the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) has been formally agreed upon. Congress has been allotted 60 seats, while Shiv Sena (UBT) has secured 45 seats for the upcoming polls to the 165-member Pune civic body. The discussion regarding the distribution of the remaining 60 seats is currently ongoing and will involve other alliance partners.
Congress MLC Satej Patil, who oversees the party's Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad units, confirmed the alliance finalisation on Monday. He attributed the delay in the announcement to the frequent shifts in stance by the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction. "As NCP(SP) finally joined hands with the NCP, things became clear for us," Patil stated.
MNS to be Accommodated from Shiv Sena's Quota
The integration of the MNS into the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) fold is a key tactical decision. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sachin Ahir explained that his party will hold discussions with the MNS and other parties to decide on the remaining seats. The MNS had initially demanded 32 seats in the Pune civic body. While the final number is yet to be cemented, the MNS is likely to receive between 20 to 25 seats, which will be allocated from Shiv Sena (UBT)'s quota.
Sanjay More, the Shiv Sena (UBT) president for Pune city, clarified, "MNS will get seats from our quota. The final figure has not been decided." Regarding campaign dynamics, an MVA leader indicated that while Shiv Sena and MNS would campaign jointly for their candidates, the Congress would not be part of that specific joint campaigning effort.
Political Reactions and Broader Alliances
The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) were united in their opposition to the NCP(SP)'s decision to ally with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, given the latter's alliance with the BJP at both the state and central levels. Defending the decision to bring MNS on board, Congress's Satej Patil drew a parallel with the ruling coalition's tactics. "If ruling Mahayuti partners can ally with parties outside their coalition as per their convenience, there should be no objection to the opposition doing the same," he argued.
Patil emphasised that the primary goal of the alliance is to address Pune's civic issues, accusing the BJP and its partners of failure in this regard. He also mentioned ongoing efforts to include the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) in the MVA, though he noted the challenge as the VBA is demanding 40 seats. "We are hopeful that they will be a part of MVA like in Mumbai," Patil added.
Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sachin Ahir accused the BJP of a strategy to eliminate opposition in the civic body by having its ally, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, contest independently. "If they are serious, then Ajit Pawar should declare in public that his party would not join hands with BJP after the elections," Ahir challenged.
Context and Past Performance
The political landscape has shifted significantly since the last civic polls. In the 2017 elections, the Congress had nine corporators with one co-opted member, while the undivided Shiv Sena also had nine. Following the party split in 2022, most of these corporators joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The MNS failed to win any seats in the 2017 Pune civic polls.
In a related development for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) polls, the Congress is in dialogue with Shiv Sena (UBT) and the VBA. Congress leader Babu Nair confirmed that no talks have been initiated with the MNS for Pimpri-Chinchwad. The Congress has not won a seat in Pimpri-Chinchwad in the last three elections.
