Ajit Pawar’s Civic Poll Gambit Puts BJP on the Defensive in Pune Region

Mumbai, Jan 2026 : Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar has launched a calculated political counteroffensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), turning the upcoming Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections into a high-stakes battleground. Even as the BJP attempts to corner him over past allegations related to the irrigation scam, Ajit Pawar appears to be executing what political observers describe as a strategic “checkmate” at the civic level.

Though the BJP and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction are partners in the Mahayuti government at the state level, the civic elections scheduled for January 15 have sharply exposed their rivalry on the ground. The alliance in Mumbai has done little to soften the intensity of the contest in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, where local power equations and vote banks carry enormous political significance.

In a move that surprised many, Ajit Pawar has temporarily set aside past hostilities with his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar to forge a local understanding for these municipal polls. Despite their dramatic political split in 2023, the two factions have come together for the limited but crucial purpose of the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad elections. The symbolic reunion was underlined when Ajit Pawar and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule recently shared the stage to release a joint manifesto for Pune.

This tactical rapprochement has helped consolidate traditional NCP support, particularly among Maratha voters and long-time local loyalists. By preventing a division of the “Pawar Parivar” vote, Ajit Pawar has effectively denied the BJP an opportunity to capitalise on a fractured opposition. The move has also reinforced his message that local interests take precedence over factional rivalry when it comes to civic governance.

At the heart of Ajit Pawar’s campaign is an aggressive critique of the BJP’s performance during its 2017–2022 tenure in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Through his “Alarm Campaign” — branded as “Ek Alarm, Paach Kaam” — he has sought to remind voters of what he describes as administrative decline under BJP rule. Pawar has repeatedly claimed that PCMC, once considered among India’s wealthiest civic bodies, slipped into financial distress due to mismanagement. He has pointed to fixed deposits of around Rs 3,000 crore accumulated during earlier NCP administrations, alleging that these reserves were eroded under BJP control.

Pawar has further sharpened his attack by accusing the local BJP leadership of inflating costs in projects such as CCTV installations and Smart City initiatives. Using strong language to describe what he calls unchecked corruption and political greed, he has positioned himself as a leader willing to confront entrenched interests at the municipal level.

In another shrewd move, Ajit Pawar has sought to weaken the BJP from within by welcoming disgruntled leaders who were denied tickets by their party. With the BJP facing an excess of aspirants, Pawar has offered an alternative platform to sidelined figures, projecting the NCP as a merit-based option. Prominent local leaders such as Amol Balwadkar and Shankar Chinchwade have crossed over from the BJP to the NCP, strengthening Pawar’s local network.

Carefully balancing confrontation and caution, Ajit Pawar has repeatedly clarified that his battle is not with Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Instead, he has focused his criticism on what he calls the “local trio” of BJP leaders in the region, attempting to contain the conflict to the civic arena while avoiding a full-scale rupture at the state level.

The BJP, however, has responded with sharp warnings. Senior leaders have hinted that revisiting Ajit Pawar’s past controversies could land him in serious trouble. Yet, by aligning with Sharad Pawar and consolidating local support, Ajit Pawar has built a formidable civic fortress that the BJP finds difficult to breach without destabilising the broader alliance in Maharashtra.

Political observers believe Ajit Pawar is using these municipal elections to reassert his dominance in the Pune region, signalling that while alliances may shift in Mumbai, Pune remains firmly under his political command.