Pune: Both NCP groups have shown interest in forming an alliance for the civic poll in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) but the NCP (SP)’s city unit has ruled out a similar arrangement in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).The talks came a day after NCP leader Hasan Mushrif announced an alliance between the NCP groups for Chandgad Municipal Council election in Kolhapur district on Dec 2. State president of NCP (SP) Shashikant Shinde said that discussions along similar lines are going on in some local bodies. The Pune unit of NCP (SP) called a meeting of its party workers on Tuesday where the issue was discussed. Its chief, Prashant Jagtap, said, “Pune is facing various civic issues due to the Mahayuti’s neglect towards the city, and therefore, we have taken a decision not to have an alliance with any Mahayuti partner. We will hold discussions with our MVA partners for the alliance in PMC.”Speaking to TOI, NCP’s Pimpri-Chinchwad chief, Yogesh Behl, said that during a recent meeting, Ajit Pawar informed local leaders that the party received a proposal from the NCP (SP) for an alliance in Pimpri-Chinchwad. “We welcome this move. The division of votes between the two NCPs will only benefit the opposition. A final decision of the alliance will be taken by the parties’ seniors,” he added.NCP (SP)’s Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief, Tushar Kamthe, said that while he is not aware of any such proposal, he added, “We are positive about such an alliance and will support it if a decision is made by our leadership.”One of the richest civic bodies, PCMC was ruled by Congress between 1992 and 1999. However, after the formation of the NCP, the civic body was dominated by the NCP. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar received a large share of credit for the NCP’s dominance in PCMC, which managed to retain the civic body until 2017.The fortress was finally breached by the BJP in 2017, where the party won 77 seats while the NCP was reduced to only 36 seats. After the split in the NCP, 34 of its 36 former corporators and most party functionaries, including the then city president, joined Ajit Pawar’s faction.A senior NCP functionary said the party is unlikely to contest the PCMC election as part of the Mahayuti alliance with the BJP. “The difference between BJP and NCP’s seats is huge, and in such a scenario, compromise from either side for seat sharing will be difficult,” he added.
