Once A Dominant Force, Shiv Sena’s Influence In Pune District Shrinks Amid BJP And NCP Gains

Once A Dominant Force, Shiv Sena’s Influence In Pune District Shrinks Amid BJP And NCP Gains

Once A Dominant Force, Shiv Sena’s Influence In Pune District Shrinks Amid BJP And NCP Gains

Share This News

Pune, October 29, 2024: Once a prominent political power in Pune district, Shiv Sena’s hold has dwindled significantly following its split in 2022. Now divided between factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Shiv Sena’s representation has reduced to only two of the district’s 21 assembly seats, with each faction contesting one.

Historically, Shiv Sena held four MLA seats and a notable presence in local bodies across Pune. However, in the 2019 elections, the party faced a major setback, failing to secure any assembly seats, marking the beginning of a sharp decline in influence. Currently, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) is contesting only in Kothrud, with candidate Chandrakant Mokate in a three-way contest against BJP’s Chandrakant Patil and MNS’s Kishore Shinde. The Shinde faction of Shiv Sena has fielded Vijay Shivtare in Purandar, facing off against Congress’s Sanjay Jagtap.

In the past, Shiv Sena’s reach extended strongly within Pune city and district, with established bases in constituencies such as Kothrud. Over time, the BJP and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have gradually absorbed areas once controlled by the Sena, further marginalizing the party’s presence.

Previously, Shiv Sena had two MPs and four MLAs in Pune district, with Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil representing Shirur in the Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2019 and Shrirang Barne holding the Maval seat since 2019. In the current alignment, Barne is affiliated with Shinde’s Sena, while Adhalrao has joined Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction. Created in 2009, Maval has remained a Sena stronghold for years but is now part of the Mahayuti alliance with shifting loyalties among party leaders.

Former Shiv Sena MLAs Chandrakant Mokate (Kothrud), Mahadev Babar (Hadapsar), Vijay Shivtare (Purandar), and Suresh Gore (Khed-Alandi) once gave the party substantial legislative presence. Additionally, Sena maintained a significant role within the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations and led the Zilla Parishad. However, over the last decade, the party’s dominance has been steadily eroded, with its two factions now clinging to Kothrud and Purandar.

Care
mukun
PJ
RK
Patahre
3.3.3