Pune Civic Polls: Congress And Uddhav Sena May Join Hands As Opposition Equations Shift

New Delhi: With civic elections approaching, Maharashtra politics is once again on the move. The Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) may fight the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections together on January 15, keeping their Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partnership alive at the local level. The decision comes amid talks of both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) possibly contesting together.

The emerging alignments point to a complex contest, with old allies recalibrating strategies and former rivals finding common ground.

Why are the NCP factions teaming up?

The alliance between Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) and Ajit Pawar's NCP, which split from the parent party in 2023, alters local political equations significantly. This cooperation is likely meant to strengthen their position against both the ruling Mahayuti and other opposition parties.

How has this affected Congress and Uddhav Sena?

For decades, the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have worked together as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. 

But with the NCP factions moving as a bloc in Pune, the Congress has quickly reached out to Uddhav Thackeray's party for a fresh tie-up, according to media reports. Talks are underway on dividing the 41 electoral wards and 165 corporator seats between them.

What does this mean for the civic battle?

The Pune civic polls now look more unpredictable than ever. With NCP factions joining forces and Congress and Uddhav Sena in talks, voters could see rival opposition candidates in several wards. It is believed that this could benefit the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti, which has been gaining ground across Maharashtra in recent local body polls.