Pune, Dec. 16 -- The BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP will contest the upcoming civic elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad separately, but in what chief minister Devendra Fadnavis described as a "friendly fight", even as Mahayuti allies come together in most other municipal corporations across Maharashtra. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Fadnavis said the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP would try to seal seat-sharing arrangements in the maximum number of civic bodies. However, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad would be exceptions, given the relative strength of the BJP and NCP in these two urban centres. "Ajit Pawar and we cannot contest the elections together in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Both of us understand politics well enough to know that if we contest together, it benefits a third party, and we do not want to allow that to happen. We will contest against each other, but it will be a friendly fight," Fadnavis said. The BJP was in power in both civic bodies between 2017 and 2022, with NCP being second largest party. The chief minister said that while the Mahayuti alliance would remain intact, the nature of alliances would vary from city to city. "There will be a BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in most places. In some areas, BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP will contest together, while in a few others, BJP and NCP may also form an alliance. The Shiv Sena will remain part of the Mahayuti almost everywhere," he said. Fadnavis, who was speaking after inaugurating development projects worth around Rs.3,000 crore, expressed confidence that the Mahayuti would secure a majority across municipal corporations. "Now that elections are being held, we are confident the Mahayuti will get a majority, considering the work done by our government. People will give us one more opportunity to work towards urban development," he said. The announcement sets the stage for keenly watched contests in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, where the BJP has expanded its footprint over the past decade, challenging what was once an NCP stronghold under Ajit Pawar. While allies at the state level, the two parties are now preparing to test their relative strengths directly in Maharashtra's most politically significant civic battlegrounds....