21 December,2025 02:49 PM IST | Pune | Archana Dahiwal
The mass defection marks a critical turning point in the region’s political history.
The Nationalist Congress Party's once-unshakeable stronghold in Pimpri-Chinchwad witnessed a decisive political rupture on Saturday, as 17 senior leaders from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction - including former mayors and standing committee chairpersons - formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The mass defection marks a critical turning point in the region's political history, signalling the near-complete dismantling of a power structure that for over two decades symbolised the Pawar family's urban dominance.
For years after its formation in 1999, Pimpri-Chinchwad was synonymous with the NCP's political authority. Under Sharad Pawar's strategic leadership and Ajit Pawar's firm organisational control in the Pune region, the party built a formidable grassroots network. The NCP ruled the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) for multiple terms, controlled key civic institutions and shaped the city's development agenda. This period - from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s - was widely regarded as the party's golden phase.
Ajit Pawar played a central role in consolidating the party's urban base. His influence over corporators, mayors and local leaders ensured organisational discipline and consistent electoral success. Pimpri-Chinchwad emerged as an unquestioned NCP bastion, often influencing political equations beyond municipal limits.
The first visible crack appeared in 2017, when the BJP wrested control of the PCMC from the NCP, marking a significant erosion of the party's dominance. The BJP's rapid expansion in urban Maharashtra further weakened the NCP's hold.
However, the most damaging blow came from within. The split between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar fractured the party's core, creating confusion among workers and voters. Divided loyalties weakened organisational cohesion, triggering resignations and steady defections. Pimpri-Chinchwad - once a symbol of unified Pawar leadership - turned into contested political terrain.
Saturday's mass induction of senior NCP leaders into the BJP appears to be the culmination of this decline. The entry of former mayors, standing committee chairpersons and veteran corporators - once pillars of the NCP's civic administration - underscores how deeply the party's local structure has been hollowed out. What began as gradual attrition has now assumed the character of a political collapse.
Senior leaders view the Pimpri-Chinchwad setback as more than an electoral loss. It stands as a case study in how internal rivalry, leadership fractures and shifting alliances can dismantle even the strongest political bastions. A city that once anchored the NCP's urban power now mirrors the party's broader struggle for coherence and relevance.
With the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections approaching, both the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP have announced plans to contest independently, intensifying competition for former corporators.
After Ajit Pawar recently inducted former BJP standing committee chairpersons and ex-corporators into his party, the BJP responded with a show of strength in Mumbai. Those joining the BJP include leaders from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction), Congress and independents. Former BJP corporator Ravi Landge, who had earlier joined the Shiv Sena (Thackeray), also returned to the party.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has categorically ruled out any alliance for the civic polls, terming the contest with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP a "friendly fight." Ajit Pawar, meanwhile, has declared that he will spare no effort to regain control of the PCMC and has begun reaching out to disgruntled BJP leaders, claiming several former corporators are in touch.
A parallel political churn was also witnessed in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), where the BJP delivered a significant blow to both the NCP and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). Several former corporators from both factions were inducted into the BJP on Saturday, despite the parties being allies at the state and national levels.
Prominent among the NCP (SP) entrants were Surendra Pathare, son of sitting legislator Bapu Pathare, and former corporator Sachin Dodke, considered close to NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule.
From the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, former corporators Sayali Wanjale, Vikas Dangat, Bala Dhankawade and Rohini Chimate joined the BJP. Leaders including Narayan Galande, Gana Chavan (son of former MP Vasantrao Chavan), Khandu Londhe, former Khadakwasla sarpanch Santosh Mate, and Anil Tupe from the NCP (SP) were also inducted.
Together, the developments in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune underline a decisive shift in urban Maharashtra's political landscape. Once impregnable NCP bastions are witnessing accelerated erosion, while the BJP continues to consolidate its dominance.
Mahesh Landge, BJP MLA from Bhosari (Pune), said:
"On the occasion of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections 2025-26, senior leaders, office-bearers and former corporators from various political parties have officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the guidance of state BJP president Ravindra Chavan. I warmly welcome all respected leaders of Pimpri-Chinchwad into the BJP family. Committed to the ideals of nation, faith, culture and development-oriented Hindutva, we are determined to secure an undisputed victory for the BJP in Pimpri-Chinchwad."
Shankar Jagtap, BJP MLA from Chinchwad, said, "Pimpri-Chinchwad has earned many identities - as an industrial hub, an IT-ICT centre and a smart city. The city provides employment on one hand and world-class civic facilities on the other. This progress has been achieved due to the consistent efforts of the city's elected representatives. Corporators and office-bearers across parties have played a crucial role, often setting aside political differences for the sake of development. Those who have joined the BJP today share the same commitment to keeping Pimpri-Chinchwad on the path of progress. With their support, we are confident that the city's development momentum will continue in the years ahead."
