Pune: The race to re-establish control over Pimpri-Chinchwad in the upcoming assembly elections has heated up between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Following the induction of city president Ajit Ghavane, Sharad Pawar's NCP is now working to attract discontented members from the BJP.
A show of strength is planned for a victory resolution rally on Saturday (July 20). To prevent further defections and address grievances, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will host a meeting on Sunday (July 21), signaling a brewing conflict for supremacy between the two NCP factions.
Historically a stronghold of the NCP, Pimpri-Chinchwad saw its political landscape shift when late MLA Laxman Jagtap and MLA Mahesh Landge defected to the BJP, leading to the NCP's decline and the BJP's rise in the municipal corporation.
Post the NCP split, city organization and former corporators initially aligned with Ajit Pawar. However, the party faced setbacks after poor Lok Sabha election results, leading to defections.
City president Ajit Ghavane, along with former corporators, switched allegiance to Sharad Pawar's NCP. Reports suggest that more former BJP corporators will join Sharad Pawar's faction at the rally on Saturday.
City president Tushar Kamthe has emphasized the focus on recruiting discontented members, with more entries expected soon from Pimpri and Chinchwad.
In response to Ghavane's departure, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar swiftly organized a meeting with former corporators and officials in Pune. Despite efforts to persuade Ghavane, he resigned, citing his intention to contest in the assembly elections.
Ajit Pawar announced plans to visit the city on Sunday (July 21) to gather opinions from party workers and discuss the party's future strategy. The consultation session with workers will be held in Kalewadi from 7 to 10 AM, followed by a party gathering.
Former MLA Vilas Lande and three former councilors from Bhosari attended the meeting, indicating a united front amidst the unfolding political dynamics.