Mahayuti partners lock horns with each other in PMC polls

The BJP had declared a pre-poll alliance with the Shiv Sena but the seat-sharing arrangement between the two failed to translate into a fruitful alliance for the PMC polls. File

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections are going to witness a multiple-corner fight as the Mahayuti partners of BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP have failed to forge an alliance for the upcoming polls scheduled to be held on January 15.

The Shiv Sena is going all alone as its negotiation with NCP also didnt take place and now it has fielded candidates on 110 seats. “The pre-poll alliance did not work out with the BJP, and neither with the NCP. We are contesting elections in Pune independently and will take on our rivals in the electoral fray. However, our alliance with the BJP will be unaffected in the state and at the national-level,” said Shiv Sena leader Nilamh Gorhe.

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP has allied with Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) and a faction of RPI to contest on a total of 163 seats. “We have fielded 125 candidates while alliance partner NCP (SP) have fielded 35 candidates. The remaining seats have been given to RPI (Kharat). There are nine seats, where both have fielded candidates,” said Pune NCP chief Sunil Tingre.

Putting up a fourth front for Pune polls, the Congress has joined hands with Shiv Sena(UBT) and MNS. The political parties are yet to declare their official list of candidates.

The AAP, VBA and AIMIM too have fielded candidates for the Pune civic polls.

A total of 165 corporators from 41 wards will be elected to the PMC in the polls. While 40 wards will elect four corporators each, there will be five corporators from the remaining one ward, as per the state government’s decision. Meanwhile, two of the 165 seats saw unopposed election of BJP candidates Manjusha Nagpure and Shrikant Jagtap in Suncity-Manikbaug ward.