
In Solapur, Congress candidate Firdos Patel, a sitting councillor and aide to MP Praniti Shinde, joined AIMIM citing disrespectful treatment. Her move comes as the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) finalized a 50-50 seat-sharing pact for the civic polls, reportedly sidelining the BJP. This alliance aims to contest 51 seats each, intensifying electoral competition and potentially altering local political dynamics.