Pune: As Maharashtra gears up for the upcoming assembly elections, political activities have surged, particularly in Pune, where the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray - UBT faction) has made bold claims to the Kothrud and Hadapsar assembly constituencies.

This move has put the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar - NCP SP faction) in a challenging position.

In Hadapsar, the Shiv Sena UBT is asserting its claim with former MLA Mahadev Babar and recent party inductee Vasant More eager to contest from this constituency. Despite this assertion,

the Shiv Sena UBT faces hurdles in securing a significant number of seats in the district, prompting Thackeray to focus on both Kothrud and Hadapsar as key constituencies for the party.

Within the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, there is a clear consensus that the Shiv Sena will contest the Kothrud seat. Conversely, the presence of a sitting NCP MLA in Hadapsar suggests that this constituency will likely remain with the NCP SP, given its historical electoral success.

Prashant Jagtap, a candidate from the Sharad Pawar faction, is keen on contesting from Hadapsar, while the current MLA, Chetan Tupe, is associated with Ajit Pawar's faction of the NCP.

This alignment sets the stage for a potential showdown between the two factions, heightening the political stakes in the assembly elections.

As both the NCP SP and Shiv Sena UBT engage in strategic maneuvering over these crucial constituencies, a fierce political tug-of-war appears to be unfolding, drawing attention from voters and political analysts alike.