Pimpri, 3rd January 2026: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections have dealt a setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in ward number 32, where former corporator Sharda Sonawane has rebelled against the party and entered the fray as an independent candidate after being denied a ticket. Sonawane is challenging former mayor Usha alias Mai Dhore, the BJPтАЩs official nominee.
The NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) has fielded Ujjwala Dhore, turning the contest into a triangular fight in the ward.
Ward 32 comprises Sangvi Gaothan, Madhuban Society, Dhorenagar, Jaimalanagar, PWD Colony, Shivdattnagar and Krishna Chowk.
Both Sonawane and Usha Dhore were elected from the same ward on the BJP ticket in 2017. Dhore later served as mayor, while Sonawane held the post of chairperson of the Standing Committee. Sonawane is being supported by the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), adding a new dimension to the contest.
Meanwhile, an alliance between the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) and the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) has been finalised in wards 23 and 24. In ward 24, Vishwajit Barne, son of Shiv Sena MP Shrirang Barne, is in the fray after rival candidates, including former NCP opposition leader Santosh Barne, withdrew their nominations. In ward 23, two Shiv Sena candidates have also withdrawn from the contest.
Efforts to forge a BJPтАУShiv Sena (Shinde faction) alliance collapsed over seat-sharing disagreements, forcing the parties to contest separately. The BJP is contesting 123 seats in alliance with the RPI (Athawale faction), with two candidates elected unopposed. Additionally, three BJP aspirants are contesting as independents due to technical lapses during the nomination process.
The NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) is contesting 122 seats following two withdrawals. The NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) is contesting in alliance in four wards, with friendly contests in two wards. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS have entered into an alliance, while the Congress has fielded candidates in 58 wards, with several withdrawals reported across the city.
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