The Nationalist Congress Party’s once-unshakeable stronghold in Pimpri-Chinchwad witnessed a decisive political rupture on Saturday, as 17 senior leaders from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction—including former mayors and standing committee chairpersons—formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The mass defection marks a critical turning point in the region’s political history, signalling the near-complete dismantling of a power structure that for over two decades symbolised the Pawar family’s urban dominance. A former NCP fortress For years after its formation in 1999, Pimpri-Chinchwad was synonymous with the NCP’s political authority. Under Sharad Pawar’s strategic leadership and Ajit Pawar’s firm organisational control in the Pune region, the party built a formidable grassroots network. The NCP ruled the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) for multiple terms, controlled key civic institutions and shaped the city’s development agenda. This period—from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s—was widely regarded as the party’s golden phase. Ajit Pawar played a central role in consolidating the party’s urban base. His influence over corporators, mayors and local leaders ensured organisational discipline and consistent electoral success. Pimpri-Chinchwad emerged …