NEW DELHI: Are the senior and junior Pawars on the same side again? For the upcoming civic polls, the answer is yes. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP has announced that it will contest the Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune local body elections together with the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).Announcing the tie-up, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said the alliance is restricted to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections, stressing that it is a local arrangement.“For the sake of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections, the ‘clock’ and the ‘tutari’ (trumpet) have united. The parivar has come together,” deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said while announcing the alliance.”We are the ones who work for development. We will edge out those who tried to put this municipal corporation in debt,” he added.Claiming the upcoming polls to be the “fight of the workers”, NCP(SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said that the decision was taken listening to the views of party workers.”After speaking with all the party workers, Supriya Sule herself also interacted with the workers from Pune. Subsequently, discussions were held with workers from Pimpri-Chinchwad. This is a fight of the workers and their election. Therefore, after listening to their views and understanding their concerns, it was decided that both NCP factions will contest the polls together in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. However, both parties will contest on their respective symbols.” NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said.”This decision has been taken only for Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, and that too after listening to the local workers and with their consent. Pawar Saheb is not involved in this entire decision-making process. Such senior leaders have never directly participated in municipal corporation elections. He only said that the views of those who fought for us should be heard and understood, and that decisions should be taken in accordance with what the workers decide. Therefore, this alliance has been formed in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad,” he added.Cracks in MVA?Meanwhile, the announcement also brought ripples in the Mahaviakas Aghadi Dal alliance partners seeking answers from Sharad Pawar.”This issue is limited to Pimpri-Chinchwad. As far as I think, they will not be in an alliance in Pune. Sharad Pawar needs to answer this, as he has always opposed the BJP, but now they are going with them. Pawar Saheb and Amit Shah need to respond to this,” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said during a media briefing.Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat also hinted that there is a possibility of NCP (SP) joining the BJP-led NDA government.“Both the NCPs are coming together by forming an alliance for the upcoming municipal corporation elections,” he said, adding that such local-level adjustments could be a precursor to a broader political understanding.How the feud beganThis comes two years after Ajit Pawar, along with a group of senior leaders, parted ways with his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined hands with BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. He had raised objection over Sharad Pawar continuing to lead the party, despite old age.Ajit was sworn in as deputy chief minister under this new alliance. He favoured aligning with the ruling coalition, while Sharad Pawar’s faction insisted on remaining with the opposition.The Election Commission later recognised Ajit’s faction as the legitimate NCP, retaining the ‘clock’ symbol. Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar’s faction (NCP-SP) adopted the ‘tutari’ (curved trumpet) symbol.Both factions contested elections separately. After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where his faction faced setbacks, Ajit Pawar acknowledged that turning his back on family had been a “mistake”.What the split led toAjit had justified his decision by saying that he joined hands with NDA to “ensure stability and progress in Maharashtra.””We are in alliance with the BJP and Shiv Sena, and many people ask me why I took the step of separating from the (undivided) NCP and why I accepted the strain on family and personal relationships. I want to tell you that I did this not for power or position, but to ensure stability and progress in Maharashtra.””In other parties, leaders retire after an age. In the BJP, leaders retire at 75, when are you going to stop? You should also give new people a chance. If we make mistakes, tell us. Your age is 83, will you ever stop or not? You give us blessings,” he added.In the Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024, Ajit Pawar’s NCP upped its score from a mere six Assembly segment leads in the Lok Sabha results to a tally of 41 MLAs, in the process beating the senior Pawar’s nominees in 27 head-to-head clashes; the latter won seven of those contests.The 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections saw the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance win 235 seats, including 132 for the BJP, 57 for the Shiv Sena, and 41 for the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). The Maha Vikas Aghadi was reduced to 20 seats for Shiv Sena (UBT), 16 for the Congress, and 10 for the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction). Go to Source