Vidarbha Not Anyone’s Fortress, Says Ajit Pawar Ahead Of Maharashtra Local Polls

Last Updated:September 19, 2025, 10:30 IST

Vidarbha has long been seen as a bastion of the BJP, especially with senior leaders like Devendra Fadnavis and Nitin Gadkari hailing from the region.

Ajit Pawar stressed that no party could claim permanent ownership over the people’s mandate. (PTI File)

Deputy Chief Minister and ist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar has stirred a fresh debate in Maharashtra’s political circles with his remarks on Vidarbha. Pawar said that Vidarbha cannot be permanently called the stronghold of any single party, pointing out that the region has given different results at different times in the past. The statement comes at a time when the NCP is preparing to hold its first ‘chintan shibir‘ (brainstorming camp) in Vidarbha, ahead of the upcoming local body elections. Vidarbha has long been seen as a bastion of the BJP, especially with senior leaders like Devendra Fadnavis and Nitin Gadkari hailing from the region. Yet, Ajit Pawar’s comments suggest that the NCP is seeking to challenge that perception.

Speaking to reporters, Pawar stressed that no party could claim permanent ownership over the people’s mandate. “Vidarbha has given different verdicts in different elections. Today, BJP may be the largest political party in the country and the state, but all parties are working hard in this region. Leaders and workers of every party — be it BJP, Shiv Sena, or NCP — have expectations from the upcoming local body elections," he said. Pawar also indicated that while BJP enjoys natural advantages in Vidarbha, other Mahayuti allies, including his NCP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, also want their fair share of seats. “Leaders of all three parties will sit together and try to arrive at a coordination. Our workers too expect opportunities in these elections," he added.

Interestingly, the NCP’s decision to begin its organisational brainstorming from Vidarbha has already raised eyebrows. At a press conference, NCP state president Sunil Tatkare was asked why the party chose Vidarbha for its first camp when its traditional stronghold is western Maharashtra. Tatkare defended the move, citing the NCP’s impressive performance in the last Assembly elections in the region. “We contested eight seats and won seven. Our strike rate in Vidarbha was 90 per cent. This proves we have a strong base here," he said.

Political observers note that both Pawar and Tatkare are sending a subtle signal — that the NCP is not just a western Maharashtra-centric party but one with ambitions to expand its influence in Vidarbha too. The message also appears aimed at strengthening the NCP’s bargaining power within the Mahayuti alliance as seat-sharing talks intensify for local body polls.

With BJP eager to retain its dominance in its perceived fortress, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) pushing for more representation, and NCP projecting itself as a rising force in Vidarbha, the contest promises to be more competitive than before. Pawar’s carefully worded comments, refusing to accept Vidarbha as a BJP citadel, underline his party’s intent to break political stereotypes and demand a larger share of the pie.

As the NCP’s Vidarbha camp begins, all eyes will be on how Ajit Pawar positions his party within the alliance and whether his gamble of challenging the BJP’s supremacy in this region will pay off in the upcoming local body elections and if Ajit can establish his party in Vidarbha region.

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