Congress Stands Firm: No Alliance For Upcoming 12 Zilla Parishad Polls in Maharashtra

After a disappointing performance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the Congress has decided to contest the upcoming local body polls in Maharashtra on its own, signalling a continued shift away from alliance politics in the state.

The party, which fought the recent municipal elections independently and finished a distant third behind the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, will now go solo in elections to 12 zilla parishads and 125 panchayat samitis. Voting is scheduled for February 5, with results to be declared on February 7.

The districts going to the polls include Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Dharashiv, Latur and Parbhani. These elections are seen as a key test of the Congress’s organisational strength in rural Maharashtra.

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Sources said the decision was taken at a meeting of the Congress’s Maharashtra unit in Mumbai, where leaders concluded that contesting alone would allow the party to rebuild its base and present itself as a clear alternative to both the BJP-led alliance and regional players.

The move also reflects strained ties with the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction). Party sources indicated that the Congress has decided against renewing its alliance with Sharad Pawar following differences over recent political realignments involving him and his nephew, Ajit Pawar.

With state and national elections on the horizon, Congress leaders believe a solo strategy in the district and panchayat polls will help the party assess its ground-level support and refine its approach ahead of larger electoral battles in Maharashtra.

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