Intensive negotiations aimed at forging an electoral alliance between the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) or NCP(SP) for the Pune Municipal Corporation elections, set for January 15, 2026, have definitively collapsed following repeated failures to resolve key disagreements over election symbols and seat allocation.
The principal obstacles revolved around the election symbol and the distribution of seats, with the Ajit Pawar faction maintaining a rigid stance that NCP(SP) candidates should contest using the 'clock' symbol formally assigned to them by the Election Commission of India, while the Sharad Pawar group insisted on retaining its allocated 'man blowing turha' (traditional trumpet) symbol to preserve its independent identity.
Senior NCP(SP) figures, notably Ankush Kakade, along with other local leaders, held direct engagements with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in multiple sessions, yet the persistent deadlock on these core matters resulted in a complete rejection of the offered terms, underscoring enduring ideological and organizational divisions despite their common historical origins.
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Consequent to the failed discussions, the NCP(SP) has promptly redirected its efforts toward consolidating relations within the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, initiating renewed and detailed seat-sharing negotiations with Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) to develop a robust united opposition platform against the incumbent Mahayuti alliance.
Comparable impasses have arisen in the adjacent Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections, also scheduled for January 15, 2026, where NCP(SP)'s pursuit of a significant portion of seats—initially around 27 and later reduced to 23—has been deemed unfeasible by the Ajit Pawar faction, effectively eliminating any possibility of a cohesive NCP presence in the forthcoming civic contests across the Pune region.
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