4 minutes of readingPuneFebruary 9, 2026 22:37 IST
The Nationalist Congress Party, whose national president Ajit Pawar died during the campaign phase in a plane crash, returned to power on Monday in the Pune zilla Parisad, winning 51 of the 73 seats that went to polls on Saturday. In the 2017 elections, the party won 44 seats and this time it has shown a much better performance.
Similarly, in the Panchayat Samiti elections in Pune district, the NCP emerged as the largest party, winning 78 seats out of 146. The BJP came a distant second with 24 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena, which won 11. The Shiv Sena (UBT) won 10 seats while the Congress failed to open its account.
The NCP wasted no time in attributing the party’s success to the “tireless efforts” of Ajit Pawar, who had gone to great lengths to prove the NCP’s supremacy. “The results are a tribute to the tireless work and efforts of late Ajitdada Pawar,” said NCP state president Sunil Tatkare.
In Baramati, Ajit Pawar’s hometown, the NCP won 10 seats. It had left two seats to the BJP, which won them for the first time. The NCP won all six Zilla Parishad seats in Baramati.
Shivajirao Adhalrao-Patil, former MP, said: “The NCP won 44 seats in the 2017 elections. This time, so far, the party has won more seats than in the past. In fact, the NCP has ruled Pune Zilla Parishad for two decades since 2004.”
Reacting to the NCP’s improved performance, NCP Pune president Sambhaji Holkar said, “This victory belongs to late Ajitdada Pawar. He had chosen winning candidates, implemented a winning strategy and had put in a lot of effort. He was enthusiastic and confident about the NCP’s victory which finally came true. Though it is a victory for the NCP, it is a sad victory for us as we have lost our precious party president. The party will continue to walk the path shown by him.”
Of the ZP’s 73 seats, while the NCP claimed to have won 51 seats, the BJP had to be content with 10 seats.
In Baramati, Ajit Pawar’s hometown, the NCP won 10 panchayat samiti seats. It had left two seats to the BJP, which won them for the first time. The NCP won all six Zilla Parishad seats in Baramati.
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Similarly, in Maval Taluka too, the NCP won all the five seats from the ZP. In Daund Taluka, of the seven ZP seats, the NCP won 6 while the BJP won one seat.
The NCP’s best performance came in Indapur Taluka, where it won all 8 contested Zilla Parishad seats. The BJP, which contested all 8 seats, drew a blank.
In Junnar Taluka, out of the 7 ZP seats, the NCP won four seats while the BJP won three seats.
The BJP had contested 58 seats, but could win only 10 seats from the Pune ZP. He Eknath Shinde The Shiv Sena-led party won five of the 38 seats it had contested, the NCP (SP) won one seat of the 8 it had contested. The Congress was left blank in the 26 seats it contested. The Shiv Sena (UBT), which had contested 26 seats, managed to win 6 seats.
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All the winners in Baramati taluka met Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Monday and expressed their resolve to remain committed to the development of the taluka in the future. The newly elected members paid their respects by offering a wreath before the portrait of Ajit Pawar.
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