Pune/Mumbai, Dec 15 Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that upcoming elections to the 29 municipal elections wherever possible, will be contested jointly. However, in Pune, there will be a friendly fight in Pune as the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) and the BJP will contest the elections independently.
“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,” he remarked.
In the case of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, CM Fadnavis said, “Even if both Thackeray brothers unite and the Congress also joins them, Mumbaikars will still elect the MahaYuti."
The Chief Minister also informed that the grand alliance has decided not to take activists/workers from one party into the other party.
He further added, “Elections should be conducted on time; this is our demand.” He made these comments after welcoming the State Election Commission’s announcement of the poll schedule for all 29 municipal corporation elections.
"There will be a BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in most cities, while in some areas, BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP may contest together," CM Fadnavis said.
He further added that in a few places, the BJP and NCP might also ally. Shiv Sena will remain part of the Mahayuti almost everywhere.
He expressed confidence that the Mahayuti alliance would secure a majority in municipal bodies, citing the development work carried out by the government over the last five years.
The CM's core argument is tactical. A senior BJP leader said, “In Pune, where both the BJP and the NCP (Ajit Pawar) have significant and often overlapping strengths, an alliance might inadvertently lead to a consolidation of the opposition's vote (MVA/Congress) that could lead to a loss for the Mahayuti as a whole.
He further stated that the BJP has historically been very strong in Pune, winning over 100 seats in the last election. Local BJP workers often advocate for fighting solo due to the party's strong position. Contesting separately allows both the BJP and NCP (Ajit Pawar) to satisfy the high number of ticket aspirants within their respective parties.
“While both parties will be running against each other, the state-level alliance remains intact, and they will refrain from mutual mud-slinging or aggressive campaigning against their Mahayuti partner's candidates,” he noted.
Earlier, Maharashtra Revenue Minister and BJP Election In-charge for local body polls Chandrashekhar Bawankule on December 10 announced that the Mahayuti alliance partners BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP will together contest the upcoming elections to the 32 Zilla Parishad and 29 Municipal Corporation, saying that the unity among the three parties will remain intact.
"The unity of the Mahayuti will remain intact in the Zilla Parishad and Municipal Corporation elections. We have set a goal to achieve 51 per cent of the votes and win, and the Mahayuti will contest these elections together,” he said.
Further, Maharashtra BJP President Ravindra Chavan on December 12 strongly refuted allegations of coercing leaders from alliance partners and the opposition to switch sides, asserting that the BJP has always upheld "coalition dharma" within the ruling Mahayuti.
He stressed the accommodative nature of the alliance under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and confirmed that the three constituents—BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP—will contest the local body elections together as MahaYuti alliance.
Meanwhile, NCP president Ajit Pawar said that the upcoming municipal corporation elections are not just an electoral process, but an opportunity to strengthen democracy and foster inclusive development.
“Let us resolve, through these upcoming elections, to pursue sustainable development, transparent administration, and robust infrastructure. Let us support capable leadership and build a stronger Maharashtra.Vote for development. Vote for stability,” he said.
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