Pune: NCP swept the zilla parishad elections in Pune district, buoyed by a significant wave of public sympathy following Ajit Pawar’s sudden passing in a plane crash on Jan 28. The party clinched 51 of 73 seats, securing the rural body for a fourth straight term and reaffirming its enduring dominance across rural Pune, home to one of India’s largest industrial clusters.The mandate highlighted NCP’s extensive grassroots network and strategic coordination, supported in several pockets by quiet backing from members of NCP (SP). Analysts said the ZP polls were crucial for NCP, following significant setbacks in the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation elections. Determined to reclaim political ground, Ajit Pawar had personally overseen the campaign strategy for the polls, holding numerous meetings to finalise candidates for both ZP and panchayat samiti seats.Party insiders said Ajit Pawar prioritised “winnability, social representation and grassroots connect” in ticket distribution — even at the cost of denying seats to long-serving loyalists and sitting members. Though controversial initially, the decision appeared to have yielded substantial electoral gains, they said.The campaign, however, suffered a setback after Ajit Pawar’s demise, forcing candidates to suspend campaigning for several days. Some candidates even turned to AI-generated audio and video messages to reach out to voters. “This strategy made a huge impact. People voted to honour Ajitdada’s memory and the results clearly show that,” Maval MLA Sunil Shelke, who led the party to a clean sweep of all ZP and panchayat samiti seats in Maval, said. Maval was once considered BJP’s only stronghold in Pune district.A visibly emotional Shelke said, “We are still struggling to accept the loss (Ajit Pawar’s demise). This victory reflects the deep affection people have for Ajitdada.”The Pune Zilla Parishad, the wealthiest in Maharashtra with an annual budget of around Rs 250 crore, has 73 seats. While NCP dominated the results, BJP made modest gains, winning 10 seats — up from seven in 2017.Shiv Sena (UBT) delivered an unexpected performance with six seats, driven largely by its success in Khed tehsil represented by MLA Babaji Kale. Five of these victories came from Khed. NCP (undivided) had controlled the tehsil for nearly three decades.A senior NCP member attributed the losses in Khed to poor ticket selection. “Former MLA Dilip Mohite ignored strong contenders, including ex-ZP president Nirmala Pansare, and fielded his nephew instead, who lost by a wide margin. Poor choices cost us the region,” the member said.Congress failed to secure even a single seat in the district in the ZP elections. Party insiders cited organisational collapse following the exit of senior leaders Sanjay Jagtap and Sangram Thopte to BJP. “This outcome was inevitable,” a Congress functionary said.Shiv Sena also struggled, winning only four seats despite having a sizeable rural base. A senior leader acknowledged internal dissatisfaction, saying, “Tickets were awarded based on convenience rather than merit, pushing loyal cadres to back rival candidates.”In Daund tehsil, BJP MLA Rahul Kul failed to put up a strong show, with the party losing five seats to NCP candidates and retaining only one. Former MLA and long-time rival Ramesh Thorat once again demonstrated his enduring influence, underscoring the constantly shifting political dynamics of the region.In the panchayat samiti elections, NCP emerged as the dominant force, winning nine of 13 samitis. In Bhor and Junnar tehsils, NCP and rival parties ended in a tie, reflecting a closely fought contest. Khed Panchayat Samiti was secured by Shiv Sena (UBT), while BJP clinched victory in Daund.
