In a major political development in Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken a commanding lead in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls, dealing a blow to the much-anticipated political comeback of the Pawar family. Early trends show the BJP leading decisively across key wards, overshadowing rival parties that had hoped to assert influence in these urban strongholds.

According to the latest trends, the BJP is leading in 80 wards in the Pune Municipal Corporation, while the combined strength of NCP factions aligned with Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar trails far behind. NCP(Ajit Pawar) is ahead in just six wards, with NCP(Sharad Pawar) capturing three, and the Congress in alliance with the Thackeray brothers leading in three. Notably, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, contesting alone, has not led in any Pune wards so far.

The political landscape in Pimpri-Chinchwad has echoed similar results, with the BJP securing leads in 77 wards. This outcome represents a startling turnaround, as the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation had been governed by Sharad Pawar’s undivided NCP since 2017. The NCP(Ajit Pawar) is currently ahead in 37 seats, while NCP(Sharad Pawar) holds just one lead.

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Smaller players and allies have struggled to make significant inroads. The Thackeray brothers’ alliance—comprising Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray’s MNS—has managed to lead in only one ward in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has gained traction with leads in ten wards, though the Congress has yet to secure a lead in the region.

The electoral outcome underscores a disappointing performance for the reunited Pawar factions, who had hoped to leverage their combined influence after a notable political split in 2023. Ajit Pawar’s alliance with the BJP earlier that year, and subsequent calls for reconciliation with Sharad Pawar’s faction, had raised expectations of a strong showing in these civic bodies.

Political analysts suggest that the BJP’s strong performance reflects voter confidence in its governance agenda and organization at the grassroots level. The results also raise questions about the effectiveness of the Pawars’ renewed alliance strategy and the future trajectory of opposition politics in urban Maharashtra.

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