Pune: BJP, Shiv Sena To Fight Civic Polls Together; Murlidhar Mohol
Pune: BJP, Shiv Sena To Fight Civic Polls Together; Murlidhar Mohol
Pune, December 18, 2025: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena will jointly contest the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections as part of the Mahayuti alliance, Union Minister of State and BJP’s district election in-charge Murlidhar Mohol said on Thursday.
Addressing the media after a meeting with Shiv Sena leaders, Mohol said the party leadership has taken a firm decision that all municipal corporation elections across Maharashtra will be fought together by BJP and Shiv Sena. “In line with this decision, the Pune civic elections will also be contested as an alliance. Preliminary discussions have already taken place, and more rounds of meetings will be held to finalise the alliance structure,” he said.
Mohol pointed out that Maharashtra already has a Mahayuti government, and BJP leader and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with Shiv Sena leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, have unanimously agreed to contest civic polls jointly. He described Thursday’s discussions between senior office-bearers of both parties in Pune as positive and constructive.
“This was an initial meeting during which aspects such as wards, numbers, and seat-sharing were discussed. However, further meetings will be held to give the alliance a final shape,” Mohol said.
Acknowledging the large number of aspirants in both parties, Mohol said it would not be possible to accommodate everyone. “There is nothing wrong in having aspirations, but since we are contesting together, there is no scope for rebellion. BJP follows a democratic process of inviting applications and conducting interviews. The final decision will be taken by the core committee and the party leadership,” he added.
Mohol also confirmed that the Republican Party of India (Athawale) will continue to remain part of the Mahayuti. “I recently met Ramdas Athawale in Delhi. A meeting with RPI leaders will be held soon, and our alliance will remain intact,” he said.
Clarifying speculation about new inductions, Mohol said that although the election process has begun, no new entrants will be inducted at this stage. “After joining the party, a person becomes a BJP worker, but while finalising candidates, their winnability is also carefully assessed. The party leadership will take the final call, and we will abide by it,” he said.
