Pune civic polls: BJP takes lead; opposition in single digit
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, according to trends. The party is ahead in 55 seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has a lead in six. The Congress follows with three seats. Other parties, such as Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and others, are yet to open their accounts.
Election overview
BJP's strong position in Maharashtra municipal elections
The Pune PMC election is part of a larger civic body election across Maharashtra, covering 29 municipal corporations. The elections were held on Thursday after gaps of several months to years, with most civic bodies' terms ending between 2020 and 2023. Nine of these corporations are located in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), India's most urbanized area.
Political landscape
Key alliances and predictions in Pune elections
The main contest in Pune was between the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena against a united front of NCP factions, Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and MNS. Ahead of the elections, the NCP factions led by uncle and nephew, Sharad and Ajit Pawar, forged an alliance in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Exit polls had predicted a sweep for the ruling Mahayuti alliance.