Written by Manoj Dattatreya More+1 MorePune | December 28, 2025 05:01 AM IST 3 min readMP Supriya Sule, the working president of NCP (SP), confirmed the development. “Yes, our alliance discussion with the NCP has broken down. There will be no alliance,” Sule told The Indian Express on Saturday.THE TALKS between the NCP and the NCP (SP) over a possible alliance for the Pune Municipal Corporation elections have fallen through, with the Sharad Pawar-led party rushing to renew ties with the Opposition MVA and resuming discussions Friday evening.MP Supriya Sule, the working president of NCP (SP), confirmed the development. “Yes, our alliance discussion with the NCP has broken down. There will be no alliance,” Sule told The Indian Express on Saturday.The discussions reportedly broke down after NCP insisted that NCP (SP) candidates contest on their ‘clock’ symbol. The NCP (SP) refused, contending that theirs was a separate party with a separate identity.“We had not declared plans of contesting PMC elections with NCP. The NCP had approached us and we conveyed to them that NCP (SP) will contest civic polls with partners of Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) which are MVA partners,” said NCP (SP) spokesperson Ankush Kakade.Incidentally, an NCP (SP) delegation had met NCP chief Ajit Pawar on their plans of seats in seat-sharing arrangement but the NCP instead offered very less seats which were not acceptable for NCP (SP).Kakade said NCP (SP) always wanted to contest civic polls in Pune in alliance with MVA partners but Congress had suddenly decided to contest independently. MVA leaders from Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) held seat-sharing discussions at a Pune hotel late Friday. “Our relations with MVA are intact… our discussions have been going on,” Sule said.However, NCP state president Sunil Tatkare said, the discussions with NCP (SP) are still going on. “As per my information, discussions are still underway. Our president Ajit Pawar has been handling Pune city affairs since 1999 and even now, he is holding discussions with NCP (SP) leaders,” Tatkare said.Story continues below this adPune city Congress president Arvind Shinde said the MVA discussions have got underway. “Besides Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders attended the meetings yesterday and today,” he said. Congress said of 165 PMC seats, each of the three parties will contest the same 50 to 55 seats. “All three are equally strong. Each one will get same number seats,” he said.Asked about possible entry of MNS, Shinde said, “MNS is not part of MVA… We have told Sena as well about it.”Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd