Ajit Pawar focuses on rural Pune after urban setback as Zilla Parishad polls loom

After failing to make his mark in the urban parts of his home district of Pune, NCP chief Ajit Pawar has swung into action to ensure his party’s hold over rural Pune remains intact, even as it faces an upbeat challenge from the BJP.

The State Election Commission has announced elections to 12 zilla parishads and 125 panchayat samitis across Maharashtra on February 5, with counting scheduled for February 7. This includes the Pune Zilla Parishad and 13 panchayat samitis in the district, comprising 146 members.

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP has long controlled the Pune Zilla Parishad. However, in the recently held municipal corporation elections, the BJP defeated the NCP despite the latter contesting in alliance with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). The defeat is seen as a major setback for Ajit Pawar and his future political prospects.

“In 2017, the BJP had defeated the NCP in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), but it had failed to end the hold of NCP on rural Pune represented in the Zilla Parishad,” said an NCP leader.

In the first phase of the civic elections held last month, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP dominated by winning 10 of the 17 municipal councils that went to polls. The party secured control of several neighbouring municipal councils in the Baramati region, including Malegaon Budruk, Indapur, Jejuri, Daund, Phursungi-Uruli Devachi and Bhor, while also wresting power from the BJP in the Lonavala Municipal Council.

Control over municipal councils and the zilla parishad is considered politically significant, as they share a common voter base with most Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in Pune district. Large parts of the Baramati, Shirur and Maval Lok Sabha constituencies fall within the Pune Zilla Parishad and panchayat samiti areas. As many as 12 of the district’s 21 Assembly constituencies lie within the Pune Zilla Parishad limits, along with 13 panchayat samitis.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the NCP (SP) won the Baramati and Shirur seats, while the Maval seat was won by Shrirang Barne of the Shiv Sena.

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian... Read More