Pune: Seat-Sharing Rift Erupts as Shiv Sena Cadres Protest Outside Neelam Gorhe’s Home in Pune

Pune, 26th December 2025: Cracks within the ruling Mahayuti alliance came into the open on Tuesday when Shiv Sena workers staged a protest outside the residence of party leader and Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe, venting anger over the proposed seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have announced plans to jointly contest the civic polls as alliance partners, reports suggesting that the Sena may be allotted only 15 of Pune’s 165 wards have sparked sharp resentment among grassroots workers.

‘Unfair Deal’ Sparks Cadre Anger:
Protesters accused sections of the party leadership of weakening the Shiv Sena’s political standing in Pune by accepting what they described as an ‘undignified’ arrangement. Raising slogans outside Gorhe’s residence, workers alleged that the party’s organisational strength was being compromised in the name of alliance politics.

“We stand firmly with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, but the Shiv Sena cannot be reduced to a junior partner in Pune,” demonstrators said. They warned that contesting the civic polls under an inequitable seat-sharing formula would demoralise the party’s cadre base.

Demand for Bigger Share or Solo Contest:
Shiv Sena workers demanded that the party be allotted at least 50 seats, citing its cadre presence and electoral footprint in the city. Several protesters also urged the leadership to consider contesting the PMC elections independently if a respectable and fair formula is not finalised.

The agitators said the protest would continue until Neelam Gorhe personally meets them and provides clarity on the ongoing seat-sharing negotiations.

The protest underscores growing unease within the Mahayuti as alliance partners negotiate ward-sharing ahead of the crucial civic elections. With Pune emerging as a key political battleground, seat allocation is fast becoming a major flashpoint, testing unity within the ruling coalition.