The BJP and NCP are gearing up for a ‘friendly fight’ in the upcoming Maharashtra municipal corporation elections — with multiple Mahayuti candidates in the fray from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Efforts remain underway to secure a seat-sharing arrangement ahead of the civic polls. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also confirmed on Monday that the BJP and Shiv Sena would be contesting most seats in tandem.
“Ajit Pawar and we cannot contest the elections together in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Both of us understand politics well enough to know that if we contest together, it benefits a third party, and we do not want to allow that to happen. We will contest against each other, but it will be a friendly fight,” Fadnavis told reporters.
“As discussed between Ajit Pawar and me, both are big parties in Pune and PCMC. BJP has carried out significant development in Pune over the last five years. Hence, in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the BJP and NCP may contest separately. It will be a friendly contest, without any bitterness,” he added.
‘People will hand over Mumbai to Mahayuti’
The senior BJP leader also exuded confidence about a Mahayuti victory in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections — insisting that voters would ‘hand Mumbai over’ to the ruling coalition next month. This will be the first BMC election after the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena and a direct contest with the Eknath Shinde-led faction.
“Mahayuti will contest the elections in Mumbai and, considering the work done by our government, the people will once again hand over Mumbai to us in the form of a municipal corporation. This is my belief,” the CM said.
The State Election Commission confirmed on Monday that polling for 29 Maharashtra municipal corporations (including the BMC) would be held on January 15. The Supreme Court of India had previously directed the poll body to complete all local body elections by January 31 as they have been due since 2022. Votes will be counted on January 16 next year.
Seat-sharing bid underway
The CM also said that efforts were underway to finalise Mahayuti seat-sharing arrangements in as many civic bodies as possible. He confirmed that the Shiv Sena would remain part of the Mahayuti alliance almost everywhere while BJP and NCP were likely to contest some areas as ‘friendly’ rivals.
“There will be a BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in most places. In some areas, BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP will contest together, while in a few others, BJP and NCP may also form an alliance,” he said.