PMC Elections 2026: Shiv Sena to Go Solo in Pune as BJP Seat-Sharing Talks Collapse

Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 30th December 2025: The ruling Mahayuti alliance appears to have fractured in Pune ahead of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, with Shiv Sena announcing that it will contest the polls independently after failing to reach a seat-sharing agreement with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Although the BJP and Shiv Sena have decided to contest the upcoming civic elections together as the Mahayuti across Maharashtra, the alliance has hit a roadblock in Pune. With only a few hours left for filing nomination papers, no official announcement on seat-sharing has been made for the city. Against this backdrop, Shiv Sena city president Nana Bhangire declared that the party would go solo in Pune and issue AB forms to all its candidates.

For the PMC elections, Shiv Sena had demanded 35 seats as part of the Mahayuti arrangement. However, BJP reportedly offered only 15 seats, leading to a deadlock. Despite several rounds of discussions between the two parties, the dispute over seat-sharing remained unresolved, prompting Shiv Sena to step out of the alliance in Pune.

Speaking to reporters, Bhangire said that Shiv Sena has decided to contest all 165 seats in the PMC elections. “We have taken a clear decision to fight the election independently. We are exiting the Mahayuti and AB forms will be given to all our candidates,” he said. He further added that the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance in Pune should now be considered effectively broken.

The development comes at a crucial time, with nomination deadlines approaching and political activity intensifying ahead of the PMC elections, making Pune one of the key battlegrounds to watch in the Maharashtra civic polls.