PUNE: The highly anticipated Sharad Pawar–Ajit Pawar family reunion for the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections — their traditional strongholds — appears to have largely faltered, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) taking a commanding lead in both cities.Counting of votes indicate that the BJP has surged ahead of the NCP–NCP (SP) alliance, led by Ajit Pawar and his uncle Sharad Pawar, in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations (PCMC). The saffron party is also leading in Kolhapur, Satara, Solapur, and Sangli civic bodies across western Maharashtra, reflecting a strong performance in the region.The BJP’s gains in Pune and PCMC suggest that the party has effectively blunted the challenge posed by the “united” NCP factions, undermining the much-publicized family reunion strategy.In the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance has extended its lead, with early trends showing the BJP as the single largest party, leading in 98 seats. Together, the alliance is ahead in 128 wards, with Shiv Sena leading in 30. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS–NCP (SP) alliance has so far made limited gains, leading in 68 wards. Within this alliance, UBT is ahead in 59 seats, MNS in 9, and NCP (SP) has yet to lead in any ward.In Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the BJP had previously held power independently from 2017 to 2022. Following delays in civic polls due to Supreme Court directives on the reservation issue, administrators managed the civic bodies temporarily.For the 2026 elections, the BJP is contesting independently against Mahayuti partners — NCP and Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, respectively. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress are also in the fray.As per the latest trends, in Pune’s 165 wards, the BJP is leading in 43 seats, followed by Congress with 7, the NCP with 5, and the NCP (SP) in 3. In the 128-member PCMC, the BJP leads in 70 wards, while the NCP is ahead in 40.The poll campaign in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad was marked by sharp exchanges between Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and the BJP, with Ajit Pawar targeting local BJP leadership over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the two civic bodies.Elsewhere in Maharashtra, in the 102-member Solapur Municipal Corporation, the BJP is leading in 60 wards. In the 81-member Kolhapur civic body, the Mahayuti partners — BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP — are ahead in 25 seats, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi leads in 21 wards.Elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra were held on January 15 after a gap of several years, as terms for most corporations ended between 2020 and 2023.
