Local BJP Leaders Push for Solo Contest in Pune and PCMC Elections, Cites Strong Local Presence
Pune/Pimpri Chinchwad, 13th June 2025: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership in Pimpri Chinchwad is set to recommend a solo fight in the upcoming Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections, moving away from alliance politics. This decision emerged during an internal party workshop attended by local office-bearers, legislators, and core workers, in the presence of BJP Maharashtra general secretary Rajesh Pande.
Echoing similar sentiments raised by the BJP’s Pune city unit, the Pimpri Chinchwad faction believes it is fully equipped to contest independently and secure a majority on its own. The strategy stems from the party’s impressive showing in the 2017 PCMC polls, where it bagged 77 out of 128 seats and later gained support from five independent corporators, effectively controlling 82 seats.
“We are confident in our organisational strength and have suitable candidates lined up for all 128 wards,” said Shatrughna Kate, president of BJP’s Pimpri Chinchwad unit. “The city unit has expressed a clear preference for going solo. However, the ultimate decision will be made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the party’s central leadership.”
Across the city in Pune, BJP’s local leadership is also contemplating contesting the municipal elections without aligning with other parties. Dhiraj Ghate, president of BJP’s Pune city unit, highlighted the party’s dominant position after the 2017 Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) election, where BJP secured 98 out of 162 seats.
“We now have close to 100 corporators, including those who joined post-elections,” Ghate said. “If the leadership decides on a solo approach, we’re prepared to stake a claim on more than 125 seats, including constituencies we narrowly lost or where BJP-backed candidates emerged victorious after switching sides.”
Party insiders across both cities raised concerns about potential complications that could arise with seat-sharing arrangements if an alliance is formed, a sentiment further pushing them toward independent participation.
Pimpri Chinchwad was once considered the political bastion of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, with the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ruling the civic body for three straight terms from 2002 to 2017. Although NCP emerged as the second-largest party in the last election, observers say it may face challenges replicating that performance this time.
A senior NCP functionary, while speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged BJP’s current advantage in the region. “With two sitting MLAs and two MLCs from Pimpri Chinchwad, BJP holds a strong position. Though we are ready to contest independently, a strategic alliance may benefit us. We will stand by the decision taken by our party leader Ajit Pawar,” the leader said.
With ward structures expected to be finalised by September and civic polls likely around Diwali, political equations are rapidly shifting in both Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle at the grassroots level.
