The ruling alliance in Maharashtra faces a major rupture in Pune as the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has declared it is ready to part ways with its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ahead of the crucial Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections. The immediate trigger for this political split is a dispute over the allocation of seats for the upcoming civic polls.
Seat-Sharing Formula Sparks Revolt
The crisis erupted after the BJP, which had publicly committed to contesting all 29 municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra in partnership with the Shiv Sena, offered Shinde's party only 16 out of the 165 seats in the Pune civic body. This offer was swiftly rejected by the Shiv Sena's local unit in Pune, which found the share deeply disrespectful and unacceptable.
Expressing the party's strong discontent, Shiv Sena leader Ajay Bhosale stated that they were upset with the BJP's treatment. He confirmed that the party had not yet taken a final decision on continuing the alliance, as the proposed seat-sharing formula was untenable. In a clear sign of preparing to go solo, Bhosale revealed that the party had already distributed official documents to 60 aspiring candidates to contest the polls.
Alliance "Almost Over," Sena Explores New Options
Echoing this hardline stance, the chief of the Shiv Sena's Pune city unit, Nana Bhangire, bluntly declared that "the alliance with BJP in Pune is almost over." The situation was further aggravated by the BJP's move to declare its own candidates in several constituencies where the Shiv Sena had expressed a desire to contest.
Shiv Sena leaders also accused the BJP of claiming the lion's share of seats in the municipality despite allegedly having no strong prospects of winning in many of them. A party leader asserted that Eknath Shinde's faction was fully prepared to contest independently on all seats if necessary.
In a significant political development indicating a search for new partners, senior Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar met with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar on Monday night. The meeting was aimed at exploring the possibility of an alliance between the NCP and the Shiv Sena for the PMC polls. Dhangekar reported that Ajit Pawar had taken note of the proposal and would communicate his decision back to the Shiv Sena.
Historical Context and Immediate Fallout
The backdrop to this dispute includes the 2017 PMC elections, where the undivided Shiv Sena had won 10 seats. Notably, seven of its former corporators have since defected to the BJP, which has now fielded them as candidates in the upcoming civic polls, adding to the current friction.
With the elections scheduled for January 15 and the results set to be declared on January 16, the political maneuvering has entered a critical phase. In response to the crisis, senior Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant rushed to Pune to hold urgent discussions with local leaders and chart the party's independent strategy for the PMC elections.
This impending split in Pune threatens to destabilize the ruling 'Mahayuti' coalition at the state level and signals a fiercely contested three-cornered fight in one of Maharashtra's most significant urban civic bodies.
