Fadnavis Keeps Door Open for Pawar Alliance, Warns of Mahayuti Response
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed openness to a potential alliance between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, despite their current rivalry. Speaking ahead of the January 15 civic elections, Fadnavis said the two NCP factions were contesting together in only a few municipal corporations, but stopped short of dismissing a future reunion. Fadnavis cited the 2019 experience of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, where an undivided Shiv Sena joined forces with the Congress and NCP, as a reason for caution. However, he emphasized that the ruling Mahayuti coalition - comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP - is confident of winning key municipal corporations. The chief minister suggested that the local alliance between the two Pawar-led groups was primarily aimed at managing internal party dynamics, rather than signaling a broader shift in Maharashtra's volatile alliance politics. Fadnavis warned that if the two factions were to come together in the future, the Mahayuti would reassess its strategy accordingly. The comments come amidst speculation over the two NCP factions' local tie-up, which has sparked debate about the potential for a larger political realignment in the state. While Fadnavis expressed confidence in the Mahayuti's prospects, he acknowledged that Maharashtra's complex alliance landscape means even unlikely combinations cannot be ruled out in the run-up to larger state and national contests later this year.
