Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule share stage, announce truce for Pune polls
Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule shared a stage for the first time since the NCP split, announcing a limited alliance for Pune civic polls. The joint manifesto focuses on infrastructure, transport, water supply, green initiatives and governance reforms
Pune: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar and NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule on Saturday shared the political stage for the first time after the split in June 2023 and released a joint manifesto for an inclusive and developed Pune.
In a development that has reshaped the political landscape of Maharashtra, the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) officially signalled a “truce for Pune” on Saturday. Ajit Pawar noted that the “friction within the family has been resolved” for the sake of the city’s development, while Supriya Sule emphasised that the alliance is currently limited to the civic polls.
The alliance, formed specifically to contest the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections, aims to consolidate the Pawar family’s traditional stronghold. Leaders from both sides stated that the primary goal is to prevent a division of votes that would benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is eyeing a second consecutive term in the civic bodies.
The manifesto focuses on several urban-centric promises related to infrastructure, water management and urban mobility. The leaders committed to accelerating the Pune Metro expansion and resolving the city’s chronic traffic congestion through new flyovers and improved public transport.
A commitment was also made to speed up the next phases of the Pune Metro and expand the PMPML bus fleet with 100 per cent electric vehicles to reduce traffic congestion.
The alliance has assured 24/7 water supply to the merged villages, modernisation of drainage systems and the construction of new sewage treatment plants (STPs) to rejuvenate the Mula-Mutha river.
It also promises to eliminate the “pothole culture” by shifting to high-quality cement-concrete roads and developing dedicated “missing links” in the city’s ring road.
The manifesto lays focus on “Green Pune” initiatives, including preservation of the city’s hills and river rejuvenation projects.
Both parties have promised the establishment of dedicated skill development centres for the city’s massive student population, including the setting up of “Pune Skill Hubs” to provide vocational training for local youth.
The alliance has also promised enhanced financial assistance for women-led self-help groups (SHGs), mirroring the “Ladki Bahin” style of support at the civic level, and digitising all municipal services to ensure “Zero-Touch” governance for building permissions, property tax payments and grievance redressal.
The sight of the cousins sharing a platform has sent a strong message to party cadres. While the two factions remain separate at the state and national levels, this local tie-up suggests a pragmatic shift.
“This is a decision taken in the interest of Pune’s development. We may have different paths at other levels, but for our home ground, we are united,” a senior party leader remarked during the launch.
Despite the show of unity, the alliance has faced some internal friction. Initially, some local leaders, including former NCP (SP) city unit chief Prashant Jagtap, had expressed dissent over the tie-up, though the top leadership appears to have moved ahead to secure the “Pawar bastion.”