The Pawar family’s power has failed in the Maharashtra municipal elections!

The BJP-led Mahayuti (grand alliance) has won a landslide victory in the 29 municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra. However, despite the Mahayuti’s victory, Ajit Pawar’s NCP, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra, has suffered a major setback. Ajit Pawar had contested the municipal elections separately from the BJP, and after their separation in Maharashtra politics, the uncle (Sharad Pawar) and nephew (Ajit Pawar) had come together, but NCP chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar failed to save his traditional strongholds of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the BJP defeated the NCP badly in the municipal elections.

During the election campaign, Ajit Pawar had fiercely attacked his ally BJP and targeted the local leadership of BJP for lack of development and corruption in both the municipal corporations in the last nine years.

The controversy had increased to such an extent due to Ajit Pawar’s statement that the BJP leaders of Maharashtra had to issue a statement that Ajit Pawar should not cross his line, but despite this, Ajit Pawar continued attacking during the election campaign.

But with the NCP’s strength declining not only in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, but also Ajit Pawar’s narrow margin in the BMC municipal elections, the Nationalist Congress Party’s diminished strength is expected to significantly diminish Ajit Pawar’s influence within the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the state.

Frustrated by the BJP’s growing dominance in the state after the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Ajit Pawar decided to align with his uncle Sharad Pawar to maintain his influence in his constituency. He joined the NCP (SP) more than two years after splitting with his uncle Sharad Pawar and splitting the party.

In Pune, Ajit Pawar clashed with Union Minister and BJP MP Murlidhar Mohol. In Pimpri-Chinchwad, he targeted local BJP MLA Mahesh Landge and alleged widespread corruption in the municipal corporation. However, in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the BJP hoisted the saffron flag and held Ajit Pawar in the mirror.

Ajit Pawar’s bet did not work.

The most notable feature of this election was that Sharad Pawar was virtually absent from the campaign, while his daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule also largely remained in the background. However, Ajit Pawar worked very hard during the campaign. His election manifesto promised free metro and PMPML (bus) rides, property tax exemptions for homes under 500 square feet, and improved water supply.

At the same time, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP had ridiculed the promises of free metro and bus service and said that NCP is giving these assurances only because it knows that it is not going to win.

Following the municipal election results, the future of opposition parties Ajit Pawar’s NCP and Sharad Pawar’s NCP-SP in Maharashtra looks uncertain. Both parties failed to perform well in most of the 29 municipal corporations.

Uncle and nephew came together for the first time after the breakup

His strategy of challenging the BJP during these elections appears to be backfiring. As a result, Ajit Pawar will now be forced to quietly cooperate with the BJP in the Mahayuti government. After criticizing the BJP, Ajit Pawar will now have to endure humiliation and remain in the Mahayuti alliance.

If Ajit Pawar’s NCP performed well in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, merger talks between the two parties (NCP and NCP-SP) were likely to intensify. The coming together of the two parties for the local body elections was seen as a first step in that direction, though the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections are likely to strengthen the alliance further, leaving the two parties with no option but to come together.

Since his rebellion within the NCP, Ajit Pawar had maintained good relations with the BJP. Unlike Eknath Shinde, he had rarely taken a stand against the BJP until these elections.

What does Ajit Pawar’s diminishing power mean?

When Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the BJP would contest the elections alone in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ajit Pawar formed an alliance with his estranged uncle Sharad Pawar’s NCP-SP. By partnering with the BJP in the state government and also joining hands with the opposition party Sharad Pawar Group, Ajit Pawar tried to keep his feet in two different boats.

But voters in both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations have completely rejected Ajit Pawar’s double standards. After crushing defeats in both municipal corporations, he will now have to work with the BJP, which will weaken his political position.