Pimpri Chinchwad, 19th January 2026: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is facing internal unrest in Pimpri-Chinchwad after several local leaders accused their own candidates and workers of quietly supporting rival parties during the recent municipal elections тАФ a move they say hurt the partyтАЩs performance across multiple wards.
The controversy gained momentum after a video of NCP candidate Ujwala Dhore from Ward 32 went viral on social media. In the clip, she is allegedly seen urging voters to elect her while backing the BJP candidates for the remaining three seats in the four-member ward panel.
Despite the controversy, Dhore went on to defeat BJPтАЩs Usha alias Mai Dhore, a five-time corporator and former mayor of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). However, while Dhore secured her seat, the BJP won the other three, leaving the NCP with just one victory in the ward.
Atul Shitole, who also contested from Ward 32 on the NCP ticket and lost to BJP candidate Prashant Shitole by 290 votes, blamed internal sabotage for his defeat. Prashant Shitole had joined the BJP just days before the election.
тАЬI did not lose because of voters rejecting me. I lost because someone from my own party worked against me,тАЭ Atul Shitole said. тАЬWe campaigned together, and I trusted that all NCP workers would honestly support the entire panel. I even mobilised my supporters for everyone, including Ujwala Dhore. But that trust was broken.тАЭ
He further claimed the issue went beyond a single ward. тАЬThis was not an isolated case. Similar things happened in several areas. We were expecting to win around 64 seats. Because of such internal backstabbing, our final tally dropped sharply,тАЭ he said.
Rejecting the allegations, Ujwala Dhore said the viral video was misleading and selectively edited. тАЬOnly a small portion of the video is being circulated with bad intentions,тАЭ she told reporters. тАЬPeople who lost the election are unable to accept the verdict and are now trying to shift the blame. They failed to connect with voters and are targeting me instead.тАЭ
Senior party leaders acknowledged that the complaints were being taken seriously. According to NCP insiders, there are at least 11 wards in Pimpri Chinchwad where the party managed to win only one seat, while rival parties swept the remaining three.
A senior NCP functionary, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, тАЬWe have received multiple reports of cross-campaigning. The party is gathering detailed information from ward-level units. Once the facts are verified, the leadership will decide the next course of action.тАЭ
In the PCMC elections, the NCP secured 37 seats, finishing second behind the BJP. The internal discord now raises questions about organisational discipline and unity ahead of future local and state-level contests.
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