Pune: Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to Contest Pune Civic Polls Together; MNS Talks Underway

Pune, 29th December 2025: The political equations ahead of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections have taken a decisive turn, with the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena announcing a joint alliance to contest the civic polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The announcement was made on Saturday by Congress leader and party in charge, Satej Patil, and Shiv Sena leader Sachin Aher.

Until recently, discussions were centred around the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), including the Sharadchandra Pawar-led NCP. However, following the announcement that the two NCP factions would come together, the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) clarified their independent alliance strategy for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Addressing a joint press conference in Pune, Patil and Aher stated that the Congress–Shiv Sena alliance will also include the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and other like-minded parties. Seat-sharing talks with these allies are currently underway.

Satej Patil said that a crucial meeting between Congress and Shiv Sena was held on Friday and that the alliance has reached the final stage of seat-sharing negotiations. “An alliance has been finalised between Congress and Shiv Sena. Seats that have been mutually agreed upon will see candidates receiving AB forms today,” he said.

Launching a sharp attack on the ruling Mahayuti, Patil alleged that the alliance had “ruined Pune over the past seven years” and damaged the city’s identity. “The Mahayuti has created negativity around Pune. Congress and Shiv Sena have come together to offer a strong and positive alternative,” he said.

According to Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) will issue AB forms for 45 seats, while the Congress will issue forms for 60 seats in the first phase. The remaining seats are expected to be finalised by Saturday evening. He added that discussions with smaller alliance partners would also continue.

On the stalled talks with the Sharadchandra Pawar-led NCP, Patil said discussions had been ongoing. “Two days were spent in talks with them. We will have to speak with them about why they are not joining us now,” he said.

Shiv Sena leader Sachin Aher said the alliance aims to provide a credible alternative to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “The BJP had made several promises to the people of Pune. Just last week, we presented a detailed report on what happened to those promises,” he said.

Aher also confirmed that seat-sharing discussions with the MNS are in an advanced stage, with talks covering 21 seats. “We will finalise discussions with MNS today,” he added.

Taking a dig at the ruling coalition, Aher alleged that the BJP’s strategy was to ensure there was no strong opposition in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. “On one hand, leaders sit together in the Cabinet, and on the other, they stage a temporary political separation. If the NCP truly wanted to contest separately, they would have exited the Mahayuti,” he said.

With alliances crystallising and candidate announcements expected soon, the Pune civic elections are shaping up to be a high-stakes political contest, with sharp ideological and governance narratives likely to dominate the campaign.