Early trends from Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) vote counting, which began at 10:00 Aam on February 9, show the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-Ajit Pawar faction) surging ahead with 36 seats, reinforcing its rural stronghold nearly a decade after a dominant 2017 performance. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) follows at 17 seats, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) at 12, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) at 5, with others trailing, setting the stage for high drama in Maharashtra's revived local polls across 12 ZPs and 125 Panchayat Samitis.
Polled on February 7 after a deferral from February 5 due to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's fatal January 28 charter plane crash and three days of state mourning, these results test NCP's factional cohesion under the 'clock' symbol, now a poignant tribute to "Ajit Dada."
Pune Panchayat Samiti Election Results
NCP is currenly leading in Baramati, Indapur, Ambegaon, Shirur, Haveli, Daund and Bhor Panchayat Samitis.
Polling context and deferral drama
Originally slated for February 5, the elections for 731 ZP seats (369 women, 83 SC, 25 ST, 191 OBC) and 1,462 Panchayat Samiti seats (731 women, 166 SC, 38 ST, 342 OBC) drew 7,438 candidates from 2.08 crore voters, marking the first such polls since early 2017 in key Pune Division districts. Ajit Pawar's tragic death prompted the postponement, amplifying emotional stakes as leaders like Sunetra and Rohit Pawar rallied voters, blending grief with grassroots strategy amid Mahayuti's recent urban sweeps (288/332 municipal councils in December 2025).
2017 benchmark: NCP's rural fortress
Pune ZP's last outing in 2017 featured 75 seats amid a 2021 census population of 38.47 lakh (3.82 lakh SCs, 2.61 lakh STs), with 70.35% turnout from 30.04 lakh voters (15.76 lakh men, 14.27 lakh women) yielding 21.13 lakh votes; 38 seats were reserved for women. NCP crushed rivals with 44 seats, ahead of Shiv Sena's 13, BJP and Congress at 7 each, and 2 independents, while smaller outfits like BSP, CPI, CPI(M), and MNS drew blanks. Across 13 Panchayat Samitis (Junnar to Indapur, 150 seats total), NCP swept 78, followed by Shiv Sena's 32, BJP's 17, and Congress's 16, cementing its unchallenged rural dominance.
Panchayat Samiti flashpoints: Maval, Bhor, Baramati leads
Panchayat Samiti updates underscore NCP-AP's edge: Maval shows NCP-AP at 9 against BJP's 1; Bhor is tied at 1 each for BJP and NCP-AP; Baramati has BJP at 1. These pockets within Pune's 2017 haul of 78/150 seats signal persistent NCP loyalty, even as BJP eyes cracks via alliances and merger buzz by February 12 (per Praful Patel). Rivals like Shiv Sena, Congress, and independents challenge the post-Pawar vacuum, turning statewide tallies into a litmus test for rural realignments across Satara, Sangli, Solapur, and beyond.
