Maharashtra civic polls: New alliances, shifting strategies mark nomination deadline

With nominations closing today and polling scheduled across Maharashtra on January 15 , political parties have stepped up last-minute realignments ahead of the civic elections. In a key development, the NCP (SP) and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party have decided to contest the January 15 civic body polls together in Pune, signalling a tactical recalibration ahead of the statewide municipal contest.

NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar said the alliance was forged following requests from local party workers , particularly after the exit of the party’s city chief Prashant Jagtap , who urged both factions to come together for the civic polls. Based on these sentiments, the leadership decided to contest jointly in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation elections .

The civic-level understanding marks a departure from the previous Maharashtra Assembly elections , when the Ajit Pawar-led NCP aligned with the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena , while NCP (SP) contested as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alongside the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) . Political observers say the present arrangement is localised and tactical , with no immediate implications for the state government , where Ajit Pawar continues as Deputy Chief Minister .

Across Maharashtra, parties are recalibrating strategies as the nomination deadline arrives. The BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are contesting together in several civic bodies, including Mumbai , while opposition parties are working on local-level seat-sharing arrangements in select cities. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is also contesting the civic polls independently in multiple urban centres.

Elections to 29 civic bodies across Maharashtra , including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (Mumbai) , Pune , Pimpri-Chinchwad , Thane , Vasai-Virar and Bhiwandi-Nizampur , will be held on January 15 , with counting scheduled for the following day. The results are expected to be closely watched as a key indicator of political strength in urban Maharashtra ahead of future electoral contests.