The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delivered a decisive political blow to the Pawar family by tightening its grip over Maharashtra’s key urban power centres, winning clear mandates in both the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on Friday.

The verdict marks a sharp shift in a region long considered a stronghold of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Despite a rare reunion between the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction and the Ajit Pawar group aimed at consolidating votes, the alliance failed to impress urban voters. The BJP not only retained power in both civic bodies but emerged stronger, underlining its expanding footprint in Maharashtra’s cities.