Alliance negotiations between Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) for the January 15, 2026, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation elections have collapsed following prolonged discussions that extended late into December 27, 2025, primarily over irreconcilable differences on election symbols.

Ajit Pawar firmly insisted that all candidates, including those supported by the NCP (SP), contest exclusively on his faction's iconic 'clock' symbol—allocated to his group by the Election Commission following the 2023 party split—arguing it as the familiar and recognized emblem for the undivided NCP's legacy in the region.

NCP (SP) leaders expressed profound distrust, accusing Ajit Pawar of deliberately delaying seat-sharing announcements, poaching aspirants with promises of funding and assured victories, and strategically undermining their position, resulting in a severe candidate shortage for the Sharad Pawar faction ahead of the high-stakes polls.

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The impasse has compelled NCP (SP) to pivot back toward its traditional Maha Vikas Aghadi allies, with internal meetings in Mumbai deciding against any compromise that would erode their independent identity; meanwhile, former Pune NCP (SP) president Prashant Jagtap resigned in strong protest and formally joined the Congress on December 26, 2025, citing ideological opposition to aligning with Ajit Pawar's group.

This failed reunion attempt underscores persistent divisions since the 2023 NCP schism, where Ajit Pawar's faction secured the original party name and 'clock' symbol, while Sharad Pawar's group adopted 'man blowing turha'; with elections looming across multiple Maharashtra civic bodies, the breakdown signals intensified multi-cornered contests in Pune's political landscape.

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