India, Dec. 31 -- After a day of confusion and open posturing by local leaders, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday walked back indications of contesting the Pune civic polls on its own, with senior leaders clarifying that the alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains intact. The turnaround, however, has left dozens of Sena aspirants anxious as many may now be asked to withdraw their nominations.

The uncertainty peaked on the last day of filing nomination papers when sections of the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde signalled a possible solo contest, triggering an influx of party workers and aspirants into a hotel where deliberations were underway. Several local leaders and workers openly expressed resentment over the BJP offering the Sen...