There is an old political cliché about there being no permanent friends or enemies in politics, only permanent interests. In Pune right now, that line sounds less like wisdom and more like warning.

Ahead of the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic elections, the city’s political class is putting on a spectacle that many voters see as openly contemptuous of the ballot. Leaders who were abusing each other in public just months ago, who sought votes by fiercely defending their alliances during the Maharashtra assembly elections, are now sharing platforms – this time attacking the very allies who helped them form the government.

The churn is most visible within the Nationalist Congress Party. After three years of public acrimony, the rival factions led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar have come together for the civic polls. The reunited NCP is now taking on its former assembly allies – the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on one side, and the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on the other.

This realignment has come even as Ajit Pawar continues as deputy chief minister in the BJP–Shiv Sena–NCP (Ajit Pawar) Mahayuti government. Despite being part of the same government, Ajit Pawar and senior BJP leaders have exchanged sharp words at campaign rallies in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Pawar has questioned the BJP’s governance record in the civic bodies, asking it to back its development claims with evidence. BJP leaders have responded by accusing him of violating the understanding of a friendly contest.

To many residents, these public spats only reinforce the sense that alliances mean little beyond short-term advantage.

Kanchan Pawar, a doctor from Wanawadi, said, “I am completely disillusioned as a voter because of these alliances of convenience formed purely for political gain… I no longer feel motivated to vote because the entire process has come down to horse trading…Even if I vote for a particular party, there is no guarantee that it will not later align with the very party it was contesting against… It feels like a sham, it’s hardly a democracy anymore.”

“There are no effective constitutional checks to stop such alliances of convenience formed only to capture power. In the end, our votes feel wasted because we never know where the party or candidate we supported will land for their own political gains.”

Deepak Patil, an IT professional from Kharadi, said the constant shifting of alliances had become exhausting for voters. “This culture of changing alliances every now and then has become a nuisance and keeps voters confused… At the state level, parties are allies, while in civic bodies or panchayats the same parties fight each other. It is absurd and deeply confusing for voters.”

Qaneez Sukhrani, convenor of the Viman Nagar Citizens Forum, said the spectacle had stripped elections of their seriousness. “They have made a joke of elections. Alliances keep changing according to political convenience… It feels like a drama being staged in front of the public.”

For some, the anger runs deeper than confusion. Shekhar Landge, a social worker from Pimpri, said, “Earlier, politicians followed certain principles and ideologies. Today, just to remain in power, they are willing to go to any extent… They have made a mockery of the electoral process. Citizens' votes no longer seem to matter.”

Part of a wider trend?

What is playing out in Pune is seemingly part of a wider trend across Maharashtra’s civic elections. In Akot, the local BJP unit had aligned with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM to retain control of the municipal council. In Ambernath, the BJP unit had joined hands with the Congress — sidelining its own state-level ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. 

These local tie-ups have triggered pushback from party leaderships though. The Congress suspended its Ambernath block unit, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the BJP would scrap all such alliances and warned of disciplinary action.

Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said, “Wherever the BJP is unable to secure the post of council president, it is forming alliances with its arch-rivals… they have lured members of other parties by offering money and positions.”

Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said, “We have scrapped that alliance… Disciplinary action will also be taken against the party members involved.”

Political analyst Parimal Maya Sudhakar sees this as symptomatic of a larger shift. According to him, local leaders now feel justified in forming such alliances only because senior leadership does the same at the state level. “Politicians are willing to remain in power at any cost, leaving little room for ideology… staying in power allows them to control resources and money.”

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