Maha: Alliance between NCP factions pay political dividend in local body polls

Mumbai, Feb 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Amid the ongoing debate over the merger of two NCP factions, the alliance between Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the NCP led by Sharad Pawar has paid political dividends in rural Maharashtra. ​

The decision to fight the Zilla Parishad polls jointly in Pune district and to coordinate seat sharing in at least 10 other districts appears to have helped both factions revive their performance in the rural belt, particularly in western Maharashtra, a region considered the NCP’s traditional stronghold. ​

Both the factions have also benefited from riding on the sympathy wave following the untimely and sudden death of NCP chief and state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28.​

The alliance in these local body elections was also seen as the first step towards a merger of the two NCP factions led by Ajit Pawar and his uncle Sharad Pawar. NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar had recently announced that a formal announcement on the merger of the two parties was scheduled for February 12 after the declaration of the Zilla Parishad election results.​

According to sources, it was Ajit Pawar who took the initiative for the alliance and later for the merger, arguing that the split in votes was shrinking the political space available to both factions. ​

The Zilla Parishad results in western Maharashtra appear to support that view. In Pune, the NCP emerged as the single largest party with an absolute majority in the 73-member Zilla Parishad, winning over 50 seats. ​

Both factions contested on the common Clock symbol across the district, barring a few friendly contests in the Ambegaon region. The move appears to have consolidated votes and helped the party secure a clear majority.​

After the setback suffered in the municipal corporation elections, talks had begun between the two factions on coming together for the Zilla Parishad polls, with Pune, the Pawar family’s home turf, chosen as the centre of the experiment. Following discussions, NCP SP state president Shashikant Shinde announced in January that both parties would contest the rural local body elections together.​

A similar strategy appears to have worked in Kolhapur as well, where the NCP emerged as the single largest party in the Zilla Parishad and is set to install its president. In the 68-member body, the NCP won 20 seats, followed by the Congress with 15, the BJP with 13, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 9. The Mahayuti alliance is expected to install an NCP leader as Zilla Parishad president.​

In Sangli, although no formal alliance was announced, the two NCP factions contested on mutually agreed seats. The NCP SP emerged as the single-largest party, winning 19 seats, followed by the Congress with 11. The NCP won four seats while the BJP secured 15. The NCP SP is in a strong position and is likely to install its Zilla Parishad president with Congress's support.​

In Satara too, the NCP maintained an understanding with allies and won 18 seats, emerging as the second-largest party in the Zilla Parishad. Overall, the results suggest that Ajit Pawar's strategy of contesting rural local body elections through coordination and common symbols has strengthened the party’s position, especially in western Maharashtra.​

“The decision was taken by the senior party leadership to contest together or to have an understanding while seat sharing. It has helped the party considerably. We hope that the results will now be analysed in detail by our leaders,” an NCP SP legislator said.

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Source: IANS