Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule reconcile; share political stage to release manifesto

Pune: For the first time since their separation in June 2023, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar and NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule shared the political stage on Saturday and unveiled a joint manifesto for a developed and inclusive Pune.

The two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) formally announced a "truce for Pune" on Saturday, a move that has completely changed Maharashtra's political landscape.

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 these 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 currently eyes a second consecutive term in the civic body.

The manifesto focuses on several urban-centric promises on infrastructure, water management, and urban mobility. They have made a commitment to accelerate the Pune Metro expansion and resolve the city's chronic traffic congestion through new flyovers and improved public transport, IANS reported.

A commitment to accelerating the next phases of the Pune Metro and expanding the PMPML bus fleet with 100 per cent electric vehicles to reduce traffic congestion has also been made.

The alliance has ensured a 24/7 water supply to the merged villages and modernised the drainage systems and the construction of new sewage treatment plants (STPs) to rejuvenate the Mula-Mutha river. It promises to eliminate "pothole culture" by moving towards 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 the 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 establishment of 'Pune Skill Hubs' to provide vocational training for local youth.

The alliance has promised an enhanced financial assistance for women-led self-help groups (SHGs), mirroring the 'Ladki Bahin' style of support at the civic level, 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 internal friction. Initially, some local leaders, including former NCP (SP) city unit chief Prashant Jagtap expressed dissent over the tie-up, though the top leadership appears to have moved forward to secure the "Pawar bastion."