In a significant political development, sources have indicated that Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is preparing to contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections independently. This comes amidst reports that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena are expected to form a coalition for the polls.
According to India TV sources, two primary factors have led to this decision. Firstly, with only 227 seats available in the BMC, accommodating all the alliance partners, including NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), has become increasingly difficult. Secondly, NCP (AP) has a limited support base in Mumbai. The party fears that participating in the alliance could result in a significantly lower share of seats, which would hinder its prospects of expanding its influence in the city. As a result, Pawar is reportedly leaning towards contesting the elections on his own terms.
Earlier on January 11, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also declared that his party would be contesting the local body elections independently. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena has been part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the primary opposition alliance in Maharashtra, alongside Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP.
This move comes at a time when the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, consisting of BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena, has been in power since the decisive victory in the November 2024 Assembly elections. The Mahayuti government emerged after securing a clear majority, with the BJP becoming the largest party with 132 seats.