Ajit Pawar 'checkmates' BJP in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad to consolidate family stronghold

Mumbai, Jan 10 Despite the BJP's move to corner him following remarks on the irrigation scam, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar is currently executing a high-stakes “checkmate” strategy against the BJP in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations.

While the two parties are allies in the state-level Mahayuti government, the upcoming civic elections on January 15 have turned their relationship into a fierce local rivalry. In a move that stunned political observers, Ajit Pawar has bridged the gap with his uncle, Sharad Pawar, specifically for the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal polls.

Despite the bitter split in 2023, the two NCP factions have formed a local alliance. Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule on Saturday shared a dais to release a joint manifesto for Pune.

Ajit Pawar has launched an aggressive “Alarm Campaign” (Ek Alarm, Paach Kaam), specifically targeting the BJP’s 2017-2022 tenure in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). He has publicly accused the BJP of turning PCMC — once one of India’s richest civic bodies — into a debt-ridden organisation. He pointed out that under NCP rule, PCMC had fixed deposits of Rs 3,000 crore, which he claimed have been depleted due to mismanagement.

Further, in a tactical move, Ajit Pawar has used phrases like “corrupt demon” and “demonic hunger” to describe the local BJP leadership, accusing them of inflating project costs for CCTV installations and Smart City initiatives to benefit party workers. Recognising that the BJP has a surplus of aspirants, Ajit Pawar is seeking to checkmate them from within. He has actively inducted and given tickets to BJP leaders who were denied opportunities by their own party. Local heavyweights like Amol Balwadkar and Shankar Chinchwade switched from the BJP to the NCP under his guidance.

He is positioning the NCP as a “merit-based” alternative for local leaders who feel “ignored” by the BJP’s top-down hierarchy. Ajit Pawar is using a “friendly contest” facade at the state level to shield himself from central BJP retaliation, while being ruthless locally. He has carefully clarified that his fight is not with PM Modi or Devendra Fadnavis, but with the “local trio” of BJP leaders — Murlidhar Mohol, Ganesh Bidkar, and Chandrakant Patil.

He constantly contrasts the current “traffic and water woes” of Pune with his own “6 a.m. work culture”, reminding voters of the infrastructure growth during his 25-year grip on the region.

The BJP has reacted sharply, with state unit chief Ravindra Chavan and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis warning that if they “open their mouths” about Ajit Pawar’s past (a reference to the irrigation scam), it would cause him “serious trouble”. However, by joining hands with Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar has created a local “fortress” that the BJP is finding difficult to breach without risking the stability of the state government.

Political observers said Ajit Pawar is using the civic polls to reclaim his “King of Pune” title, signalling to the BJP that while they may be partners in Mumbai, Pune remains his undisputed home turf.

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