Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday announced a joint alliance between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party for the Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls.
The alliance will contest the January 15 elections to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation together. Pawar said the decision was taken while finalising the list of candidates. He described the move as a reunion of the Pawar family for the local body elections.
Addressing party workers in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pawar said seat-sharing talks are underway at the local level. A formal announcement will be made soon, he added. He urged party cadres to focus on campaigning and avoid controversial statements.
Pawar said the alliance was aimed at development and cited the party’s governance record in municipal bodies. He said efforts would be made to secure a clear mandate in the PCMC elections.
Discussions are also ongoing between the two factions for a possible tie-up in the Pune Municipal Corporation elections.
Elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune, will be held on January 15. Counting is scheduled for January 16. The last date for filing nominations is December 30.
Meanwhile, the NCP announced it will contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections independently. The party released its first list of 37 candidates on Sunday. Three members of Nawab Malik’s family feature on the list. A second list is expected soon.