Poor show in city a wake up call for Cong, NCP
Indian Express: Until the Assembly polls, they had lost no opportunity fighting against each other. However, the Assembly election results in the city have come as a wake up call for the NCP and the Congress to join hands in the city lest they lose control over the Pune Municipal Corporation.
The upsurge of Shiv Sena, BJP and MNS in the city, going by their performance, has forced the NCP and Congress to seriously brace for an unfavourable situation that may arise against them in the PMC. “We came to power in PMC as the single largest party in the 2007 civic polls. It had also indicated the growing strength of the party in the city, but the outcome of recent polls has something else to say,” said NCP city chief Jaidev Gaikwad.
Though there is no threat to the Congress-NCP stronghold, he said time had come for both to come together in the civic body to retain hold over the city. “The NCP and Congress have been at loggerheads for the last few years and this has had its impact on performance of both the parties in the assembly polls. It’s time to join hands now.”
Of the eight seats in the city, the Shiv Sena and BJP won two seats each while the MNS opened its account with one. One seat went to NCP while the Congress managed to win two seats, one less than it had won in 2004. “The Congress-NCP should have won maximum seats in the city going by the strength in the local civic body. The Congress from the beginning applied pressure tactics on the NCP and took into kitty seats that were favourable for the NCP,” Gaikwad said, adding that the NCP was stronger in Shivajinagar and Hadapsar constituencies.
He admitted there were problems between the two parties during the Assembly poll as cadres did not wholeheartedly participate in the campaign of each other’s candidates. Stating that senior leaders of both the parties have buried their differences, Gaikwad said Congress and NCP will work together in the civic body. “This will ensure party cadres join hands and power remains with the two.”
Congress managed to win two of the four seats it contested and retained Pune Cantonment seat while Shivajinagar seat went to a sitting MLA who had won the seat in 2004 on a Shiv Sena ticket. “The city has always been a stronghold of the Congress. We proved it during LS polls,” a Congress leader said.
City Congress chief Abhay Chhajed said several factors led to fewer candidates winning. “Delimitation along with local politics had an adverse effect on performance. We hope to change the situation after the Congress and NCP work together at local level.”
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